Lotus Leaves
by Sandylee007
Summary: For years Sasuke has been a servant for Orochimaru, seeing no light at the end of her tunnel. What happens when a boy named Naruto appears into the obnoxious motel she’s trapped into? AU NaruxFEMSasu Very dark themes, rating may rise to M.
1. Prologue

A/N: Told ya I'd ship these out in a wave, didn't I? (grins)

In case there are those of you I haven't gotten the chance to thank yet… COLOSSAL thank yous for all those votes you've given already! Goodness – almost SEVENTY of you have voted thus far, can you believe it?! (HUGS, and gives all kinds of delicious treats) THANK YOU!

**ABOUT THE RATING OF THIS FIC**: The rating MAY be turned in M as the story progresses, depending on whether I'll go through with some storylines I'm thinking of or not. But no worries; I'll let you know well beforehand so you'll be able to find this ficcy if things go there. (smirks)

**WARNINGS**: No yaoi, or OCs, whatsoever, so you can sigh with relief there. BUT, there'll be VERY dark themes, so, eh… Not for kiddos, or those with a faint heart. (scratches head sheepishly)

Okay, OKAY, it's time to stop stalling and babbling. Here it is, folks – the first chapter of Lotus Leaves! I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride!

DISCLAIMER: ME, own something like Naruto?! (starts laughing hysteriously) That's gotta be the best joke EVER!

* * *

In a village named Mist existed a small, rather dark shaded motel many of the villagers talked about only with whispers.

It was a house of screams, they said, carried four walls full of secrets. A house of death. Many said that even during those rare days when the village bathed in sunlight, no light ever managed to touch the walls of that building. And those who stayed there for longer than one night, tales told, were never able to leave – they always left behind their money, their sanity, their heart, or something with even more value.

In that dark, hopeless place lived a girl who'd long since lost all hope of a better future – at least until she met a boy who's spirit was brighter than any sunlight. And that's where our story starts.

This is a story of darkness, death, lies, hope, passion, love, and lotus leaves.

* * *

CHAPTER 1: Prologue

* * *

Naruto's blue eyes widened with amazement when he walked into a very appropriately named, tiny village called Mist, and noticed all the huge houses towering around him, seeming to challenge each other.

_This… is nothing like Konoha!_ A huge grin appeared to his lips. _I can't wait to get to tell Sakura-chan and the others about this._

" Watch your steps, kid", his teacher, Jiraiya, ordered suddenly, outstretching a hand. He was stopped right on time to not get hit by a man running wildly with a huge cart. " I've heard quite a bit of stories about this place. It's easy to get lost in here if you don't watch out."

He rolled his eyes. " Yeah, yeah, Old Pervert." He couldn't keep himself from grinning when seeing the glances his sensei cast towards three rather pretty women walking on the other side of the street. " And you keep your eyes and hands to yourself. I'm sick of bailing you from jail."

Jiraiya swatted his head. " Respect your elders, brat." The man then looked around, this time obviously not looking for entertainment. " Now… If we're going to stay here for a while waiting for Kakashi, we should find some sort of a place to stay."

His eyes moved at the exact right second to spot an elderly man walking nearby, appearing deep in thought. " How about that one? He looks harmless."

The white haired smirked. " Well how about that, you have learned something after all." A hand moved dangerously close to his face. " Hey, wait a sec!" The stranger stopped with clearly visible reluctance, and looked towards them with deep suspicion. " Where could we spend a night? We're both pretty exhausted."

The man scoffed. " You're actually planning on spending a night here?" Seeing their expressions of confusion, the stranger made a sound of disbelief. " Unbelievable… Well, if you really want to stay, there's a motel a couple of street corners to right from here. But I suggest you to stay as far away from it as possible – it's no holiday resort. Actually… It'd be a very smart move to leave this village entirely." With those gloomy words the man started to all but rush away.

They stared at the distancing back for a while in dumbfounded silence. " That… was odd", Jiraiya stated finally.

He shrugged. " Yeah, I suppose." He then grinned brightly. " But at least he knew a place. So let's go – I've got about thousand blisters already."

Jiraiya swatted his head again. " Stop whining."

He scoffed, rubbing his head with one hand. " Then you stop hitting me, Pervert! It can't be healthy!"

-

While they went, only Jiraiya was trained enough to notice something quite alarming.

There were no noises of people, even of kids, and if there were any birds they were perfectly silent. The sounds of their playful argument were the only voices heard in the village.

He shuddered, feeling very cold.

Perhaps leaving would've been a wise idea, after all.

* * *

Sasuke's eyes were closed while she sat on the edge of a small pond that'd been built to a yard closed by a motel's walls, letting cool water flow past her legs. Without noticing it she started to hum quietly, letting the scent of lotus flowers carry her mind far away for the time being.

* * *

_/ Seven years old Sasuke's eyes were filled with marvel while she watched her brother polishing weapons. " Brother, what are those?"_

_Itachi didn't look at her but smiled, which was quite rare – usually her brother ignored her altogether when focusing on his duties. " They're called Shurikens", the teen explained while she crawled into his lap, and laced one arm around her to make sure she wouldn't fall. " They're used in great battles."_

_Her eyes widened. " You mean, like those father always talks about with his friends?"_

_She was too young to understand that there was something wrong with how dark Itachi's eyes became. " That's right."_

_Her tiny fingers were fast enough to snatch one weapon before her brother could stop her. " Will I get to use these one day, too? Just like you and father?"_

_Her back was to Itachi, so she couldn't see the boy's expression. " Maybe." It wasn't until years later she understood that the teen had meant to say ' But I hope you'll never have to'._

_Her eyes shone when she looked at the boy. " Will you teach me? I know you're the best!"_

_Very much to her dismay, Itachi poked her forehead with two fingers. " I'm sorry Sasuke, but I'm busy." Seeing her pout of disappointment, the boy softened. " Maybe next time."_

_Her eyes shone once more. " Really?"_

_Itachi smiled faintly. " Yeah. I promise." /_

* * *

As the memory faded, she had to fight with herself to not chuckle bitterly.

To think how simple things had once been…

" Sasuke." Turning her head towards the demanding voice, she met the face of her best friend, TenTen. The girl's expression was unusually tense, and she found her muscles stiffening. " Kabuto told me to come and get you. We have two new clients who intend to stay for a while. Their room must be prepared."

She nodded, swallowing down a groan, and got up. She shivered when cold wind tickled her skin. " Let's get going, then", she muttered, casting one last longing glance towards the beautiful flowers in the pond before starting to walk away. " We both know what Orochimaru thinks about waiting."

* * *

Naruto felt somewhat confused when standing in a motel with Jiraiya and looking around.

He didn't understand why that strange man had been so repulsed by this place. Sure, it'd looked pretty creepy from the outside, but on the inside it was just like any other of those dozen inns they'd stopped by during their long journey. Even that guy who'd greeted them when they'd arrived – Kabuto, wasn't it – had seemed perfectly normal. So what was the big deal?

" Well hello, and welcome. I'm Orochimaru, the owner of this place." The soft male voice, smoother than velvet, caused him to jump with fright. Turning around, he felt ominous cold shivers when meeting a man at about Jiraiya's age with long, black hair and the strangest pair of eyes he'd ever seen. 'Snake' was the only word that came to his mind when the man smiled, the expression colder than any winter. " My most sincere apologies for the wait, but you know how hard good staff is to find."

He knew Jiraiya well enough to be able to tell that his teacher wasn't comfortable with the situation, either. " It's okay." The white haired's face calmed down, but not by much. " So, how much for one night?"

Orachimaru's smile turned even more threatening. " The price is quite negotiable. I'm sure we'll reach… an understanding."

Jiraiya nodded, not seeming quite pleased. " That's good. It'd be pretty hard to find another place at this hour."

" True enough." Orochimaru took a glance towards a door nearby before speaking again. " Well, as it seems my subordinates are taking their time… There are only two rules you must remember under my roof – aside taking care of the payment, of course." The man's eyes were almost hazardous. " Do not touch my employees – you may look, but otherwise they're off all limits. And although you're free to go anywhere else as you please, basement floor isn't at your disposal. Are these rules understood?"

They both nodded slowly, cold shivers running once more. " Yeah…", Naruto muttered, suddenly feeling like escaping from the building as fast as possible. " Sure."

" Good", Orochimaru stated, the tone sounding like a snake's hiss. " Very good."

" Orochimaru-sama." A sharp female voice claimed all his attention. Turning his gaze, he felt an odd twinge inside when seeing a girl with long, black hair and equally dark, fiery eyes. A breathtaking sensation of familiarity struck him. " The room's now ready."

He couldn't help feeling a dark slash when noticing how Orochimaru's eyes surveyed the girl. " Thank you." The man then looked back at him and Jiraiya slowly. " This is Sasuke. Feel free to ask her if you have any requests whatsoever."

He couldn't keep himself from all but staring at the raven haired girl. He blinked, feeling out of breath all of a sudden. He opened his mouth for a couple of times before sound came. " Uh… Hey…"

Sasuke's eyes seemed to turn slightly darker before she spun around. " Follow me", she all but commanded, her voice sharper than any knife. " I'll show you to your room."

_Geez!_, he scoffed mentally while doing as ordered. _What a grouch!_

As he followed the girl, he had a distinct feeling that something had just changed irreversibly.

* * *

Outside wind blew through the lotus pond, making the flowers spin around dizzyingly.

Sure enough, fate was making its mysterious work…

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

A/N: And so it begins. (shudders)

So, what do you guys think – does this one deserve a fighting chance? Would you like to know where this one goes – even with me being unable to update to as often as I'd like?

**PLEASE**, do let me hear from you!

Until next time – be it with this story or some other!

Take care!

* * *

**To those waiting for the start of 'Welcome To A Masquearade'**:

I've still got some details to polish, but the startout should be out in a week or two. So no worries. (grins)


	2. Dawn In The Dark

A/N: Gah! It took me longer than I would've wanted, but now it's FINALLY here – the first proper chapter is done! (jumps up and down with joy)

BUT, before getting to the business… Thank you so much for those AMAZING reviews – gosh, you really seem to want this lil' story to go on! (HUGS, and offers several types of cookies) You've seriously done miracles to my inspiration. THANK YOU!

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting for too long… Here we go, folks! I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the chappy.

* * *

Once following Sasuke through somewhat squeaky stairs and eerily dark hallways, Naruto felt his heart hammering unnaturally for some reason. It was as though some tiny, distant part of him had sensed impending doom.

He almost bumped into the raven when she stopped to a small door all of a sudden. " This is where you'll be staying", she announced in a voice that concealed all possible emotions. " I'll be your host during your stay, so if you have any requests or complaints, contact me."

Naruto nodded slowly, the somewhat surreal situation becoming a bit too much for him. " 'K…" The girl had almost managed to make her way away before his self control broke and his voice sounded before he could stop it. " Hey Sasuke… How long have you been working here, anyway? Because you don't seem any older than I am."

The girl – who's back was to him – stiffened completely. It took several moments until there was a snap like response. " Just focus on yourself, dobe. You'll need to if you want to make it out of here alive."

He scoffed as soon as she was out of earshot. " Geez… What a sunshine."

He felt like snarling when Jiraiya ruffled his hair rather roughly. " C'mon, kid. We haven't slept properly in over a week, so let's enjoy this before Kakashi shows up."

He nodded. Before entering the room, he couldn't keep himself from glancing towards the direction to which Sasuke had disappeared. With some surprise he found himself feeling disappointed when there wasn't a trace of the girl.

Her words resounded in his ears.

/ _" Just focus on yourself, dobe. You'll need to if you want to make it out of here alive."_ /

He couldn't help wondering what she'd meant.

* * *

CHAPTER 2: Dawn In The Dark

* * *

The following morning Naruto frowned when waking up to the smallest of sounds. It was… like shuffling, almost.

" Hey, Old Pervert, you in there?" he called out, his voice husky from sleep.

There was no response, and gradually he started to realize that the voices weren't coming from the room, but outside the building.

His eyes flew open, and he was up before even properly processing what he was doing. Once stood by the room's window – which opened a view to the motel's inner yard – he blinked at what he found.

Down there, Sasuke – who'd just stepped outside – pulled out some weapons, then started to practice aiming like she'd been training for several years. Her eyes were hard with concentration, her mind clearly blind and deaf to the rest of the world.

He kept staring for a moment, then grinned brightly.

He'd been yearning for answers, right? This was a golden opportunity to get such.

Far faster than he usually moved at this hour he pushed himself up and crawled into his clothes, then all but sprinted out to where Sasuke was. (He never even noticed the note Jiraiya had left.)

As soon as he was outside Sasuke gave him an irritated look before going back to what she'd been doing. " I have a feeling you're not here to talk about services, so get going."

" You owe me some answers", he threw back, then blinked when glancing towards the board to which the girl had been aiming. " Holy…!"  
All of the blades… were right there, in a perfect formation.

He stared at the girl, unable to hide his bafflement. " Where the heck have you learned that from?!" Wasn't she supposed to be a servant, not a ninja?

The girl's onyx eyes were dangerous when meeting his. She picked up another blade that glowed in the light of a rising sun. " Do you want the next one to hit you instead, or are you going to leave me alone?"

That was the final straw to him. His eyes narrowed. " You're not the only one who can do ninja-stuff, teme!"

Her eyebrow arched. " Really, now?" She threw away the blade, surprisingly enough not aiming at him. " Then bring it on, dobe."

Like two hurricanes they charged at each other, spinning around so madly that both started to feel dizzy. Kicks and punches were thrown, each of them blocked with such care that it felt like they'd been reading each other's minds. Time seemed to gain a track of its own while all they could focus on was each other.

Although he would've ever admitted it, it took all of Naruto's efforts, but eventually he had Sasuke pinned to the yard's only tree.

He grinned victoriously. " _Now_ are going to give me answers?"

But oh, he should've never underestimated the girl. Before he even noticed what was happening a hard kick was aimed at his most sensitive spot, and another hit threw him roughly against the ground. His head was swaying and a groan of pain almost erupted when Sasuke knelt down and grabbed his collar, pulling him close with a hazardous expression. " What the hell do I have to do to convince you that some questions are just better off unasked?"

" Sasuke." Turning their heads, they found Kabuto stood nearby with a strange expression. " In case you're done fighting with our guest, TenTen's waiting for you."

She nodded stiffly, getting up. " I'll be there in a minute." Once Kabuto had gone back inside, she glared at him once more. " You, stop snooping around my things before it'll cost you." With those words she left.

Naruto's head was still spinning while he stared at the girl's distancing back, keeping his eyes on the direction long after she'd disappeared. His ears and head buzzed madly while thoughts he would've rather not admitted having zoomed around.

In the end, only one question was coherent to him.

_What the heck just happened?_

* * *

TenTen didn't enjoy almost anything more than she did the rare, hour-long getaways Orochimaru allowed them to have to buy everything necessary from a marketplace. She had several very good reasons to that.

It took a lot of her not to smile when she saw Neji's familiar form by a booth that sold fruits and vegetables. Without wasting another second she walked up to him, placing herself as close as she could without drawing unwanted attention. " Good morning", she greeted in a surprisingly casual tone, unable to look at him in fear of her façade slipping.

Neji shivered, but didn't move towards her. " Morning." His one hand lingered nearby hers, examining a tomato. " It's good to see you." The words were lame, but his tone told everything necessary, said what couldn't be voiced.

Faster than anyone's eyes could possibly spot it their hands brushed together – desperate to hold on, but no quite daring to.

" So…", TenTen started out eventually, daring herself to take one risky step closer. With how much experience she had, she was pretty skilled with pretending to be interested in a rather small, yet nicely coloured apple on a table before her. " It's been a while." _Two months, two weeks, four days and ten hours_, she added in her head. She glanced towards the Hyuuga for just a couple of seconds, getting cold shivers from seeing how he tensed up. " How have you been?" What a lousy cliché, but at the moment that was the best she could do.

Neji gulped thickly, confirming all her dark assumptions. " Ten… There's something…"

He never got the chance to finish, because just then a female voice spoke. " Here you are – I've been looking all over for you!" Turning her gaze, she met a girl at about her age with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. The girl looked at her with clearly detectable distaste. " What are you doing talking to… _that_?"

" Ino, don't." Only she could see the weaver upon Neji's face. " She'd… lost something. I tried to help her find it."

Ino shrugged, obviously not all that interested. " Whatever." The girl grabbed Neji's hand, the gesture filled with harshness that shouldn't have been there. " Now let's go before Hiashi finds out you abandoned your fiancée in the middle of wedding planning. He just suggested rescheduling – the new date is in two months, as soon as I'm sixteen and it's legally possible."

TenTen's heart practically stopped at those words. Very slowly, unwillingly, her gaze fell to Ino's left hand. True enough there was a beautiful, brightly shining ring.

It took her all not to simply crumble apart, and only harsh gritting of teeth kept her from screaming. She could've never imagined it was possible for a human being to hurt as badly as she did then.

Neji's eyes carried something he couldn't bring himself to hide when they faced hers after a stilled moment. " TenTen…"

She didn't bother to listen, instead started to leave. Working her hardest to maintain her grace she lifted her chin just a little bit, fighting furiously against the scream that wanted to erupt. " I'm sorry, but there's a lot I'll have to do." She whirled around. " Good luck on the wedding."

If the two said something, she didn't catch it.

As soon as she was safely out of sight, she leaned her back heavily against a wall and closed her eyes as tightly as humanly possible. Without even knowing what she was doing she brought a hand to her chest, gasping underneath such pain she'd never felt before. She mused that the feeling couldn't be anything short of her heart being ripped right out, and she was almost glad it hurt so much that she couldn't even cry.

Yes, of course she'd known from the very beginning that they – an orphan and servant, and a rich aristocrat – could never have a future. But facing that fact was thousand times more painful than she'd ever imagined.

" TenTen?" Looking up, she met Sasuke through thick blur. (Odd, she mused. She hadn't noticed she'd started to cry.) Her friend seemed to understand, but knew her well enough not to offer any empty words. " We should get going. This place isn't all that exciting, and we're running late."

She nodded breathlessly and powerlessly, starting to walk numbly beside the raven.

As soon as she got into her room she finally gave in to the nausea she'd been feeling all morning and threw up loudly, letting some tears roll.

* * *

Yes, Naruto knew better than well what butting in to other peoples' business and forbidden places could cause. But he'd also always been far too curious for his own damn good. And that's why he found himself following some call inside that led him towards the forbidden basement floor.

To his immense surprise the huge, hard door leading to the basement was open, most likely forgotten by someone. He dared to inch it open just a little bit, afraid of causing any sounds and arousing unwanted attention.

" _You've caused far too many problems today already. It's time for another round_", a sound he recognized as Kabuto's announced. " _Stop that whining! You've been through this far too many times to feel a thing._"

There were whimpers, loud and heartbreaking. " _Please…_", a barely coherent voice he couldn't recognize pleaded. It sounded so desperate that he had to grit teeth to keep himself from whimpering. " _Please, don't – I'm sorry… It burns, it burns so much… It hurts… Forgive me…_"

There was a growl, and something he identified as flesh meeting flesh. " _Shut it_", Kabuto growled. " _You're only alive because of Orochimaru-sama – you owe this much to him._"

For a few moments the only sounds he could hear were choked sobs. Then came such a wrenching, loud scream that he jumped backwards, barely able to keep himself from yelping with fright. It sounded like someone had been torn to pieces or burned up alive.

So rattled he was, that he didn't spot any danger before it was much too late. " I thought I already told you this floor is off limits."

Very slowly and unwillingly, he turned around to meet Orochimaru, who's face held such darkness that it stilled his blood. He gulped thickly, and realized that he'd never wanted to run away this badly. " I… I didn't…", was all he could come up with.

" I apologize for my student." Gosh, how relieved he was to hear Jiraiya's voice just then! Turning around, however, he found himself gulping again when meeting the look upon the man's face. " He doesn't always remember his limits – and manners – no matter how hard I've been trying to teach him."

Orochimaru's gaze was so dangerous that he backed two steps towards Jiraiya, as though a child looking for shelter. " I really hope you'll be able to teach him." The man's usually sickeningly smooth voice now reminded him of an attacking snake's hiss. " It'd be… a pity if he'd get involved with wrong things."

He felt Jiraiya's stony hand on his shoulder. " Yes, it would." The hand squeezed even more tightly – to protect or punish, he had no clue, but he found it hard not to wince. " Let's go, brat. It looks like we've got a long lesson ahead of us today."

For once he didn't resist or whine when the man led him away.

As soon as he was fairly sure they were out of Orochimaru's earshot he dared to speak (and breathe, he noticed vaguely). " Thanks", was what he managed to produce.

Jiraiya's face, however, remained so dark that he didn't manage to feel relieved. " Naruto, do you have any idea of how great danger you just almost got into – what kind of people we're dealing with?"

He blinked with surprise. He'd never heard that tone before. " No", he stated bluntly. " But it sounds like you do."

He expected an explanation of some sort. Instead Jiraiya's eyes darkened even further, and the man muttered more to himself than him. " I really hope Kakashi shows up soon so we can get out of this place."

He couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

While trekking through Mist quite late that evening, Temari swore loudly when taking a glance towards Gaara, who barely remained up and conscious despite all the support she gave him. " C'mon", she hissed at him, her voice crackling with worry she couldn't hide. " Kankuro's already missing. Don't you dare disappear, too!"

To boy gave her a somewhat sluggish glance and blinked with apparent difficulty. " I'm… sorry…", he mumbled, then winced and coughed. She felt shivers of dread when seeing blood stain his lips.

Her eyes went through his injuries for the about thousandth time, and she snarled at what she found. There were at least five extremely deep, bleeding cuts all over his body, along with more bruises than she could even count. She didn't dare to guess how much damage was hidden inside.

They had no time to waste, she came to realize yet again.

It was then her eyes spotted a tiny, extremely shady motel only some steps away. In any other situation she would've stayed as far away from such a place as possible, but now wasn't the time to get picky.

Gaara was already an inch from unconsciousness when they burst through the doors, and she bellowed at the top of her lungs. " Is there anyone in here?"

Soon enough a somewhat nauseated looking girl with brown eyes and hair appeared. Those eyes widened when spotting her brother's condition. " Shikamaru! We've got a injured one!"

There was cursing – she could tell, although she couldn't make out the words. In a while a boy with somewhat messily tied brown hair and dark, sleepy eyes appeared. " TenTen, you'll better have one hell of a reason for…" Words died down when the boy spotted Gaara. " Holy shit!"

By then, Temari found it almost impossible not to attack this idiot. " Are you going to just gawk there, or are you going to do something?"

Shikamaru scoffed. " Geez, hold on a second!" By then Gaara had already drifted out of consciousness, and both their efforts were needed to get her brother moving. " Has anyone ever told you that you should do something about your temper?"

She grit teeth. " You'll see my temper if anything happens to my brother because of your laziness", she snarled.

The boy muttered something incoherent under his breath.

Had Temari's mind not been clouded by worry for both of her brothers, she might've noticed what a part of her knew already then.

Something had just changed irreversibly.

* * *

If there was one personality trait that'd kept Naruto going despite all the setbacks he'd faced in his life, it was his stubbornness. 'Knucklehead' was something he'd been called as long as he could remember.

Therefore it was no surprise to anyone who knew him that he didn't give up trying to get answers after the rather disappointing morning.

That evening he finally found Sasuke from the small, grassy inner yard of the motel, kneeling in front of something he couldn't see. " You're very, very hard to find", he stated, not bothering to hide his irritation.

Sasuke remained silent for so long that he already thought she hadn't heard him. " Only when I want to be." She then straightened her form slowly and turned to face him, something in her eyes he hadn't seen before. " Didn't I already tell you to leave me alone – for both our sakes?"

He shrugged. " Yeah, you did. I can't believe you actually thought I'd listen."

Sasuke face twitched as though she'd been about to smile, though that couldn't possibly be the case. " Hn."

He folded his arms, prepared for a long and hard debate. " I still haven't gotten my answers, and I want them now." He waited for a moment to ensure that his voice would be as effective as possible. " I know there's something fishy going on around here – I heard screams and other creepy stuff. So what is it?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed with what looked like rage or startle. She started to walk off, moves far more stiff than usually. " Nothing you should have anything to do with."

He grabbed her wrist before she could run away. " What's up with this place?" he demanded.

The girl gave him a firm death glare. " Let go of my hand, or I'll rip yours off and throw it into a dumpster. Understood?"

His hold didn't loosen the slightest, although the look in the girl's eyes brought him chills. " No!" he all but growled. " Not before you've told me what I want to know."

Sasuke's eyes seemed to glow with so much that it seized his breath. " So you want to know? You honestly think you want to get that deep into this?" His heart fluttered a bit when the girl's lips came an inch from his ear. " Do you believe in hell, deadlast?"

He frowned, feeling chills. He was too confused to even pay back the quite unflattering nickname. " No." What the heck had that question been about?

" In that case…" Sasuke held a small pause when they heard distant steps from the building. " … you should get out of here as fast as you can. Because pretty soon you _will _start to believe." Taking advantage of his confusion she escaped from his hold. " Now, if you're done… I've got some duties to take care of."

He could only stare at her distancing back, struck mute and paralyzed by the heat suddenly bubbling in his veins.

Quite absentmindedly, he wondered how it was possible to feel this infuriated and intrigued at the same time.

Curiosity took the best of him after about half a minute, and he turned his gaze towards the direction in which Sasuke had been kneeling. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed a tiny wooden cross, before which two lotus flowers had been placed. Only one word had been engraved to the wood.

' _Aiko_'. (1)

He frowned, feeling extremely cold for the about umpteenth time that day.

Who had this… Aiko been?

He lifted his gaze towards the motel, the coldness inside him intensifying.

What the hell had he and Jiraiya gotten involved with?

* * *

Sasuke's moves were slow, reluctant, while she entered the forbidden floor of the motel yet again, finally stepping into a dimly lit room. In candlelight she could see that Orochimaru was already sitting in his bed.

She chased away all of her emotions with the full strength of her mind when feeling eyes on her, and approached. It took a lot to swallow down the nausea she felt while being this close to him. " How are you feeling?"

Orochimaru examined her with his gaze while she mixed a drink for him. " Better. Those potions of yours do wonders."

" Drink this. It should help you get some rest." She shuddered when his hand brushed deliberately against hers while she handed him a mug. " You shouldn't thank me." Her voice carried an unwanted edge. " It's Shikamaru who brings in the herbs."

Orochimaru's eyebrow rose just a little while he took some sips of the newest mixture. " You're being unusually snappy today."

She knew she should've expected nothing else, but it still increased her wrath that he didn't seem to even remember what day it was. (It was highly likely he didn't even care.) " Just rest", she commanded in a voice she didn't recognize. " I'll take care of your newest experiment and our… visitors." She didn't bother to mention that they now had two new inhabitants.

A new look appeared into Orochimaru's eyes – sharp and dangerous. "You know how much we need him. Do not disappoint me."

She took a piece of old, worn fabric to prepare a cold clothe for the man. " Don't worry." There was a loud sound of fabric being torn, and dark eyes flared fire when meeting the other's. " Haven't you always said that I'm the mistress of deception?"

The cruellest of smiles was her response. " Yes", the man murmured, finishing up with the drink. " That, you are. And that's why I've kept you here."

She took away the now empty mug, then placed a rough hand to the man's chest. " Lay down. The position should start to take affect any moment now."

_Just this one more task_, she told herself while going through the motions of helping the man get comfortable and placing the cold clothe. _Just this one, and I'm finally allowed to go. I'm free._

Orochimaru seemed to read her thoughts. She felt like throwing up when the man moved her shirt so that most of her upper torso became revealed. Her whole body stiffened when his fingers traveled down the bare skin of her neck, sending a brand new electric jolt of revulsion. " You are familiar with the deal that's been made, no? Until you're able to pay for your freedom, you're mine."

Her moves were rough and uncompromising when she pulled her shirt back on properly. " You need rest", she informed in an odd, hollow tone. " We can continue this some other time."

The man's eyes flashed – with what, she couldn't tell. " Tomorrow", he announced in a voice that left no room for arguments. " No excuses."

She nodded, feeling like she'd been punched. Unable and unwilling to speak she got up, turned around and left the room as fast as she could.

Suddenly, she was almost pleased by the fact that she still had plenty of duties ahead. She didn't feel like going to bed and facing all the nightmares she was bound to have just yet.

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

1) This is a Japanese girl's name, meaning beloved or loving child.

* * *

A/N: (shudders) So Orochimaru's scheming goes on – and it seems Jiraiya's on to something. But what about our beloved boneheads – as well as Gaara, TenTen and Neji?

So… Do you guys still think this if worth being continued? **PLEASE**, let me know! Awww, I know you want to. (looks with pleading, totally irresistible eyes)

Until laters, folks!

Take care!


	3. Nocturne

A/N: MAN, am I on fire right now! More than one update in a matter of days (for different projects, but still…) – HOORAY! (grins and claps hands together with excitement like a kid)

Ooh-yes, first things always come first. COLOSSAL thank yous for those fantastic review! (HUGS, and ships out all kinds of treats for you guys) You can't even imagine how happy it makes me to know that there are people out there waiting for this 'lil story to continue. THANK YOU! (I TRULY hope I responded to you all. Though, it seems there was one review that could be seen on 'hit counter', but refused to show. So… If you happened to send an unlucky comment, let me know, yeah?)

Okay, okay, I think I've been stalling enough, so… Here it is, guys! (grins) Enjoy, yeah?

* * *

/ _Only five years old Naruto couldn't understand a thing of what was screamed in the hallway of which a huge, thick metal door separated him. " … the mark of a demon! He's the cursed child – he even caused the death of his own parents! You can't get him out of here!"_

" _He's nothing but a child, Danzou!" another voice boomed like thunder. " He's no monster, for heaven's sake! But he'll sure as hell become one in a place like this."_

_Shivering violently he curled up to a tight ball into the furthest corner of his tiny, dark cell, his small heart thumping violently with panic. His blue eyes were impossibly wide with terror, desperate to find a way out that didn't exist._

" _What do you want to do with him, then?" the first voice – a much sharper and more unpleasant one – growled. " You can't take him out of here! You don't know what he's capable of!"_

_He brought his hands to his ears and squeezed his eyes tightly shut while rocking himself back and forth, desperate to escape from the nightmarish situation. When he finally dared to listen again, he gave a gasp when hearing heavy steps approaching inevitably._

No!_, he wanted to shout out. _Go away, please go away…!

_He fought against the overpowering desire to scream when the door of his cell was opened, and prepared himself to fight with absolutely everything he got. He, however, found himself freezing to the spot when he met almost blinding light, along with whom he soon knew as Jiraiya._

_The man had an odd expression upon his face. " C'mon, kid. Let's get out of here."_

_He didn't need further coaxing._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 3: Nocturne

* * *

Naruto's heart hammered again when he woke up with a loud gasp, eyes once more widened beyond any human limitations. It took minutes before he finally calmed down and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. " Stupid dreams…"

He then frowned, feeling an overpowering sensation of being alone. " Jiraiya?"

There was no response. Shivering a bit, he forced himself into standing up and looked around the room. True enough, there was no trace left of the man, only a short note that'd been made in a familiar, inexcusably messy handwriting.

_Had some errands to run. 'Be back for lunch. Don't get into any trouble._

He snorted, putting the note away. " What a trust…"

With that he yawned, deciding that with or without his sensei, he was going to make the most of this day.

-

About fifteen minutes later he felt like a supernatural power of some sort had led him to the inner yard of the motel once more. He wasn't all that surprised to find Sasuke.

For the longest moment he watched with awe he would've never admitted how the girl threw different kinds of blades to a target, creating breathtakingly beautiful patterns.

In the end he couldn't take the silence anymore. " Shouldn't you be working or something?"

Sasuke shuddered a bit, but instead missing her target she whirled around sharply, one blade held high. His eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen, and despite himself he emitted a tiny yelp.

Instead of throwing the weapon, however, the girl put it away, her expression still dangerous. " Do you have any idea how close you came to being perforated, idiot?" she snarled. Onyx orbs flashed. " I almost wish I'd thrown it to teach you a lesson."

He rolled his eyes. " Yeah, right… Orochimaru would've killed you for harming a client."

Sasuke's expression told that he'd been correct. It took a while before the girl spoke, her arms folded. " What do you want, anyway?"

He mused for a moment, then grinned brightly. " You know what? I want you to teach me. I want to become just as good as you are."

Something that could only be called disbelief appeared into the girl's eyes. " What?" She then smirked in a somewhat unnerving way. " Well this should be fun…"

* * *

Gaara's body hurt all over when haze finally disappeared from his head and he groaned loudly, frowning without being able to open his eyes.

Why was he feeling like there was an elephant sitting on his chest? And his head was killing him. He was hurting pretty much everywhere, actually.

What… the hell had happened? The last thing he could remember was this fuzzy figure attacking, and Kankuro shouting…

" So you're finally awake." He shivered with startle when hearing a soft, unfamiliar voice. " Don't try to move too much. Your wounds are healing well, but it'll take time before they're properly closed."

Using absolutely all his strength and taking a huge risk of feeling even more pain, he inched his eyelids opened. At first sunrays of probably only just rising sun burned his eyes like acid, but soon enough he was able to see at least something.

Hovering above him was a very pale faced girl with long, black hair and a pair of the softest eyes he'd ever seen. His heart jumped one extra time when he looked at her, although he couldn't understand why.

" I'm Haku", the stranger introduced herself. " Your sister brought you to this motel. You've been unconscious all night."  
He felt a shiver of dread. " 'mari…?"

Haku smiled a little. " She's alright – she's right downstairs, getting some breakfast." The girl then got up. " I should go – I still have a lot of things to do. I'll come by later to see if you're feeling any better."

At that moment he confused himself with wanting to stop her from leaving. His fingers twitched, but he didn't manage to grab Haku's wrist until she was already gone.

Giving a sigh that sounded defeated he closed his eyes. He was too tired to be surprised by the fact that he wanted Haku to be there when he'd wake up again.

* * *

In two hours Sasuke learned the hard way that there was absolutely nothing funny about teaching someone as boneheaded as Naruto.

She grit teeth with annoyance when the blonde missed his target for the about hundredth time. " Dobe, this isn't science or anything remarkably difficult!" She shook her head. " How the heck have you survived this long as a ninja?"

The boy gave her something that looked like a pout. " I've used other skills than weapons, okay? Stop lecturing – you sound like Old Pervert."

She had a feeling that she didn't want to question further.

In the end she emitted a defeated sigh and walked up to the blonde. " Close your eyes."

The boy gave her an incredulous look. " With you around? Yeah, right…"

She growled through her teeth. " Just do it, will you?"

Apparently deciding that there was no messing around with her, the blonde did as ordered, although he seemed quite ready to fight if the situation would call for it.

After rolling her eyes skywards she stepped even closer to him, and grabbed his hand that was holding a new weapon. They both shivered when skin made contact with skin, although neither would've ever admitted it. " Relax your muscles, and let me lift your hand." Surprisingly enough the boy obeyed without a fight. She fought back a grin when his hand was in the perfect position. " Now focus, okay? Move your fingers the exact second I do, and try to visualize your target although you can't see it."

Naruto nodded with determination, and soon enough their hands moved together. The weapon flew through the air, slamming exactly to the centre of the target.

Had she allowed herself to do such, she might've smiled. " That's how you do it."

Naruto's eyes flew open, and the brightest grin she'd ever seen appeared when the blonde discovered the results. Blue eyes shone when turning to meet hers. " I… can't believe it!" the boy exclaimed. " I actually did it! Jiraiya's never going to believe this!"

It was around then she became aware of just how close to each other they were – near enough for her to feel the boy's warm breath. And at some point Naruto's free hand had found hers. In a couple of seconds she started to feel so uncomfortable that it became hard to breath.

She had to get away, _fast_.

Her eyes narrowed subconsciously. " I think you'll make it just fine on your own from here", she announced while turning sharply. " I've gotta get going." She left without looking back.

-

Naruto watched with great confusion how the girl walked away, steps unbelievably stiff. He blinked twice, not understanding the fluttering underneath his skin.

_What the heck just happened?_

After a couple of moments he growled loudly, folding his arms. " Teme!"

He was too busy with trying to come up with insults harsh enough to realize that the warmth on his cheeks wasn't caused by fury.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Sasuke was working her hardest to chase away the confusion marred infuriation Naruto had put her through.

She was snapped out of whatever thoughts she'd been having when there was a crash of breaking glass. Looking to side, she frowned when noticing that TenTen – who was preparing lunch with her – had dropped a plate. " Are you okay?"

The brunette sighed heavily while cleaning away the shards. " Yeah… I just…"

Whatever the girl would've had to say didn't get a chance to be voiced, because just then they both stiffened when hearing much too familiar steps approaching. In a couple of seconds Orochimaru was stood in the room. " Ah, I thought I'd find you here."

Sasuke frowned with suspicion. " What do you want? We're busy."

" I have a little… assignment for TenTen." Dangerous eyes moved to the brunette. " One of our regulars – Hyuuga Hiashi – just visited", the man announced, making a sickening click with his tongue. " His nephew is getting married with a girl from Yamanaka family, and he wants everything to be perfect. That's why he wants only the best performers." He paused for a moment, allowing TenTen to tense up completely with a horrifying realization. " He wants the best musician. That's why I'm sending you."

She saw TenTen's face blanch, and if Orochimaru hadn't been there she would've most likely done something to comfort her friend.

The brunette remained absolutely silent for a long time, until she finally nodded barely traceably. " Yes." It was hardly louder than a whisper. " I'll do it." What other choice did the girl have, really?

Orochimaru appeared satisfied. " Good." With that he walked away, not having the slightest clue of the destruction he left behind (or, perhaps, he knew perfectly).

As soon as the man was gone she looked at her friend. " Are you sure you can do this?" she asked after struggling to find the right words for a while.

To her surprise TenTen shook her head, not looking at her. " Sasuke, it's… It's not just Neji, and that stupid wedding." The girl swallowed thickly, her jaw growing unnaturally tight. " I've… been feeling sick for several mornings, and I'm… late, badly."

Her eyes widened just a little bit with understanding.

_Oh crap…_

Eventually TenTen looked at her, brown eyes filled with unshed tears. " I'm… I'm pregnant."

* * *

Temari's thoughts were whirring in a mad flood as she sat in a rather small, plainly decorated common space of the motel late that evening. She stared vacantly through a filthy window while gulping down sickeningly strong coffee.

As much as she'd been able to from watching over Gaara, who kept lingering in and out of awareness, she'd been looking for clues that'd tell her what'd happened to Kankuro. But even though she'd talked to what felt like hundreds of people she still had no idea of where her brother was.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and her hand squeezed around a tea mug so tightly that it almost broke.

Those bastards had hurt both of her brothers – the only family she had left. When she'd finally get her hands on them…

" I thought I'd find you here."

Only her pride kept her from wincing at the sound of Shikamaru's voice. Her teal coloured eyes carried deep annoyance when flashing towards the boy for a moment. " Now what do you want?" she asked a bit more sharply than she'd intended.

" Haku hinted that you'd like to know how Gaara's doing", the boy pointed out. " He's sleeping comfortably now – it looks like those herbs are finally working. He should be up and running in a few days."

She nodded, feeling a bit guilty for her former harshness. She didn't meet the boy's eyes. " Thanks."

" No problem."

She fully expected him to settle with that and go. Apparently, however, she wasn't about to get any privacy just yet.

She all but glared at Shikamaru when the boy took a seat beside her, also drinking tea and wincing constantly at the taste. " What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, uncomfortable with a stranger approaching her like this.

The boy gave her a somewhat weird look. " What? I'm allowed to decide where I want to sit, right?"

She felt the urge to chuckle at that. " You really are persistent, aren't you?"

He shrugged, not looking at her. " Nah, just too lazy to find a more comfortable place to sit for a while."

Her eyes narrowed, mostly out of a reflex. " Come an inch closer, and I'll show you just how uncomfortable that seat can be."

Shikamaru merely rolled his eyes.

Comfortable silence lingered from then as they sat, both deep in thought.

* * *

Night had already fallen by the time Sasuke sneaked her way to the inner yard of the motel, inhaling the unnaturally strong, enchanting scent of lotus flowers while taking a seat on the grass. As though working on their own accord her eyes rose towards the sky and stars – trying to catch what, she didn't know.

She shivered a bit when there was a sound of a door opening, but relaxed ever so slightly when recognizing Naruto's voice. " I can't believe this", the boy scoffed while stomping closer. " Are you stalking me or something?"

She snorted. " In case you've forgotten I was here first, idiot."

Naruto shot a half hearted glare towards her while slumping to her side, finally laying himself to the grass. " Smart ass." They remained in a surprisingly companionable silence for a while until the boy spoke again. " What are you doing, anyway?"

She must've been even more exhausted than she'd thought, because soon she found herself from the grass as well, so close to the blonde that it disturbed her deeply. " Thinking." Once more her gaze found the stars, locking to something that looked like a formation. " I'm… trying to remember."

" It's called Andromeda." They were both equally stunned by Naruto's comment. She sneaked a glance towards the boy to find him looking at the sky with half lidded eyes. " It's one of my favorites."

She arched an eyebrow, refocusing her attention to the stars. After giving it a moment's thought she chose another formation. " And that one?"

Even without looking she could just see Naruto's bright grin. " Perseus. You know, according to this old myth he saved princess Andromeda from a monster once upon a time. That's why I like seeing them up in the sky together." The blonde pointed towards the twinkling dots with his finger. " See? There's his sword." (1)

She remained quiet for a while, allowing herself to enjoy the view. " You know quite a bit for a dobe", she stated finally.

Naruto shrugged, grinning once more. " Blame it on Jiraiya. He's the master of teaching pointless stuff like that."

She had to work hard to keep a chuckle from erupting through her lips.

" My brother tried to teach me constellations." It was a moment of weakness she would've never allowed herself under normal circumstances. But tonight… " We never made it past the three first."

Naruto cast a questioning glance her way. " What happened?"

Furious with herself, she grit teeth and forced her gaze back to the sky. She could no longer see the beautiful shapes, only darkness and misleading flashes of light. " Hn." She'd revealed far too much already. She was slipping, and that was _not_ allowed.

Naruto's mouth opened for more questions, but she became spared by a voice she wouldn't have really wanted to hear. " Sasuke." Pushing herself into a sitting position, she found Kabuto stood by a nearby doorway. The boy's expression told clearly what he thought about what was happening between her and Naruto. " Orochimaru-sama sent me to get you. _Now_."

She nodded stiffly, and tried to not look towards Naruto while getting up.

She'd almost made it to safety until the blonde's voice caught her like a suffocating rope. " See you later, teme."

She didn't stop or turn around – didn't dare to, she wouldn't admit to herself.

Kabuto didn't speak until they were safely inside. Dark eyes were suspicious when glancing towards her. " You're letting him awfully close."

She felt like snarling, and her eyes squinted to slits. " That was the whole point, right?" she all but hissed, then calmed herself with three deep breaths. " Now, if you're done with rubbish, let's just keep going."

* * *

Jiraiya had almost fallen asleep in the middle of writing his newest book when the door of he and Naruto's room suddenly opened. He quirked an eyebrow while watching the boy drag himself in. " Well look what the cat brought in." He frowned, taking in the grass on the blonde's clothes. " Where have you been all evening?"

Naruto shrugged, something close to embarrassment flashing in blue eyes. " Just… outside, stargazing."

He'd seen that look well enough times to understand. " This is Sasuke-related, right?"

The boy fought bravely, that much credit he had to give, but a radiant, scarlet blush was still evident. The teen swallowed thickly while scratching his hair, face filled with blatant humiliation. " Old Pervert, stop giving me a third degree!" The blonde then looked towards the floor. " Besides, I… still don't know what the heck it's about. That teme is unbelievably frustrating."

A knowing smile rose to his face. " I've heard that one before", he mused out loud.

Another rosy hue could be seen on Naruto's cheeks. " Yeah, whatever…" After giving it a thought, the teen started to move. " I'm going to bed. My head's already messed up enough." There was a small wave. " G'night, Pervert."

" 'Night." As an afterthought he added. " And stop calling me that or you'll find your bed full of frogs in the morning, kiddo."

A deep frown appeared while he watched the blonde go.

Yes, he'd seen that look and behaviour before. And he hoped from the bottom of his heart that Naruto wouldn't have to pay a price as high for his fall…

* * *

Sasuke shivered with revulsion that couldn't be explained with words while pulling fabric to cover fresh tooth marks on her left shoulder.

" Kabuto will bring your medicine in five minutes", she stated as soon as she could be sure her voice would work.

" Good." She managed to take only two steps before Orochimaru spoke again. " Sasuke-kun, I heard something… interesting today." There was a pause that felt torturously long to her. " You've grown quite close to the newest experiment."

She understood in a flash. _Naruto._ Her eyes narrowed although the man couldn't see them. " My assignment was to make him stay long enough for you to get ready, right? That's the only way to do it."

" I'm quite fine with that", came what sounded like a snake's hiss, nothing human. " Just remember the rules, Sasuke-kun. Don't get attached or you'll become a burden. Someone in your position can't afford disturbances like that."

" Yes, I'm aware of the rules", she all but spat out, starting to leave. " Now, if you're done, I've got something much more important to do than stand around here."

While she went her eyebrows furrowed at the way her heart thumped.

_What the hell's the matter with me?_

-

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed while he watched the girl go with sharp, confident steps. He wasn't as strong as he'd once been, but he was no fool.

His eyes flashed.

Apparently he'd have to speed up the schedule.

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) Heh, I decided to merge together reality and Naruto world a little. According to my knowledge that story of those constellation is a real myth. Cool, no? (grins)

* * *

A/N: (shudders yet again) So it keeps getting even more chilling… What the heck is that Snake Freak planning?

Heh, I'm writing this in a bus on my laptop, and the battery's going to die soon, so I've gotta start tuning out. PLEASE, do drop a line or two before you take a hike! Awww, you know how happy you can make me with just few words. (gives enormous puppy dog eyes) (Besides, I'm not completely out of apple pie with some cream yet…)

'Til next time, folks! You'll… stop by then? Pretty pwease?

Peace out!


	4. Venomous Touches

A/N: Agh, first of all… I'm so, SO sorry it's taken me inexcusably long to update! (winces) No, I haven't abandoned you guys, but I've been inhumanly busy for a while now. (faints of exhaustion) But now, thank goodness, Christmas is coming, so I've got some time in my hands. (grins and rubs hands together with excitement)

First of all, of course… Awww – HUUUUGE thank yous for those heart melting reviews you've taken time to write and send! (HUUUGS, and showers you with all the treats promised) It's unbelievably hard to be too busy to write because of you guys, you know! Thank you so much for that! (grins, and hugs again, going hyper because of the approaching holiday season)

Awkay, before I get any more unstable… (sweatdrops)

Here it is folks, FINALLY- the all new, shining chapter! I REALLY hope you'll have a good time with it. (glances hopefully)

* * *

/ _The motel's basement floor's atmosphere was even eerier than usual when Orochimaru appeared, walking forward with steady, silent steps, not a single trace of an emotion visible upon his face. He made barely a sound before noticing Kabuto emerge from a room nearby. " Well?"_

_There was a strange expression on the boy's face when their eyes met. " She lost a lot of blood, and I'm pretty sure quite a bit of damage was done. But I think she'll live."_

_He nodded, his expression still unchanging. " And the baby?" His voice carried so little emotion that it might've chilled some._

_Kabuto shook his head, swallowing so that he could see and hear it. " I'm sorry, but… It was much too early. There was no hope."_

_He nodded again, slightly surprised by how cold the boy's words made him feel. He turned around, starting to walk away. " Make sure she recovers as fast as possible so she can get back to work."_

_He rubbed his suddenly throbbing temple with three fingers while going and groaned barely audibly._

_He was obviously in a need of fresh air._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 4: Venomous Touches

* * *

" Sasuke, I swear, if you don't snap out of it right now I'm going to pinch your ass."

Sasuke's eyes sharpened in an instant, and before Naruto could do a thing to protect himself he'd been thrown to the ground. Her eyes blazed. " You do that…", she snarled. " … and you're dead, understood?"

Naruto snorted, rubbing his cheek that was most likely throbbing quite a bit. " So that's what it takes to get your attention", he stated sulkily, then got up. " What's wrong, anyway? You've been like a zombie all morning."

Her eyes narrowed, though the anger was directed more to herself than the blonde. During the past three weeks they'd been training together pretty much every morning. It seemed she'd let Naruto get to know her much better than would've been sensible.

" I'm fine, dobe", she replied in a sharp wheeze, inwardly cursing how pathetically unconvincing she sounded.

The boy rolled his eyes. " Yeah, that's what it looks like."

She took a deep breath, trying to rid at least some of the haze in her head. " Hn." By then she was composed enough to function normally. " Now… Do you want to continue this practice session or not?"

-

Naruto had no idea why, but during the little over three weeks he'd spent in this creepy motel with Jiraiya he'd… started to care about Sasuke, almost. He would've never admitted it to her, of course – it was something he barely admitted to even himself – but he couldn't deny feeling affected somehow. And that day, he could tell that something was badly wrong.

But he knew he'd never get any answers, so he decided to proceed on the girl's terms. And so they spun around each other in a dizzying speed, circling like two beasts, until they were both covered in small cuts and bruises.

He grinned when they finally stopped, both panting heavily. " See that?" He gasped for a moment. " I _am_ improving."

Was that… an actual grin he met?

Yet again their moment together was cut by an unwanted appearance. He felt like groaning when Kabuto appeared to the small inner yard with a strange expression. " It's time to stop fooling around." The boy's eyes locked to Sasuke. " Orochimaru-sama has a task for you."

* * *

That morning TenTen had barely managed to get dressed – careful to wear a kimono that was loose enough to hide her barely traceable bump – when there was a knock on the door of her room.

She sighed a little, feeling morning sickness wanting to kick in. " Sasuke, just a moment. I…" She then glanced at the mirror before her, and swallowed down a gasp when meeting someone else than her best friend in the reflection. She gathered herself for a moment before speaking. " You know you shouldn't be here."

Neji's eyes flashed while he entered and closed the door. " I told Orochimaru I came to talk about the wedding." He looked straight at her when she finally turned around. " We have to talk."

It was incredibly hard for her to hold back a wince of pain. " About what?" There was no bitterness in her voice, only sadness and tiredness. " You're getting married. It was bound to happen eventually."

The boy's pale eyes were so filled with despair that it made her hurt physically. " 'Ten, I… I can't do this." He seemed to want to approach her, but changed his mind. " I won't."

It took absolutely all might there was in her, but eventually she could tell there was no expression upon her face. " We both knew what we had wasn't the love story of the century", she stated, bracing herself and looking at him straight to eyes. " You need to get back to reality, Neji. Stop hanging on to some nonsense when you've got a chance for real happiness."

Neji frowned, and she was almost sure he shivered. " I don't even love her!"

She grit her teeth simply to keep herself from crying. " Well you can't love me, either!" Her breathing wheezed just a little bit while she gestured with her hand. " Take a look around you – there's no future in this place!"

The boy didn't seem much less persistent. " I can take you away from here. We can still leave, just the two of us."

Her whole body ached, desperately wanting to say 'yes' – to ignore the fact that Orochimaru would kill them both if she'd leave, to ignore that Neji would be giving up on his life, to ignore that they'd never have a future as runaways.

Eventually, however, reason won, no matter how much it hurt.

Her eyes were blank when meeting his, a storm of emotions having wiped her empty. " My place is here, just like your place is with your family and fiancée." At that moment she did something she would've never expected herself to be capable of. She took off a beautiful pendant the brunette had once given her, handing it to him roughly. " Walk away, Neji. And don't ever even think about returning."

Neji stared at her with eyes that were – despite his obvious attempt to restrain emotions – filled with shock and something close to heartbreak. His mouth opened, but instead of speaking he finally obeyed and started to walk away slowly, almost like waiting for her to change her mind. For just a moment the boy stopped by the room's door, as though about to say something, but in the end changed his mind and kept going, not daring to look over his shoulder.

As soon as he was finally gone she closed her eyes with a loud, choked sound and brought a trembling hand to her stomach. " I'm sorry", she whispered – to the baby or Neji, she had no idea. " I'm so sorry."

Only silence answered her.

* * *

About three hours later, Naruto was too overjoyed for finally getting out of the motel to notice how worked up Sasuke and TenTen – who'd taken him along when going to buy some food – were while they walked through the yet again mist filled village. His blue eyes were full of wonderment while he glanced around, meeting all the hollow looking houses and empty streets.

_This place looks like a ghost town!_

He gasped just as that thought was finished when a rather harsh hand appeared to his chest, holding him back. A second later he could only blink when a cart stormed past them, narrowly missing hitting them.

Sasuke gave him a look of irritation. " Are you purposely trying to get yourself killed?"

He grinned sheepishly, not even noticing how he placed his hand to cover the girl's. " 'Sorry."

Neither was aware of TenTen's amused, knowing expression. It was the first time that day she smiled, even if just a little bit.

Just then they all shivered a bit and looked on when hearing something Naruto didn't remember catching in this village before. Children laughing.

Nearby a house on the other side of the street three kids – two boys and a girl, not much older than five – were playing around happily and laughing, chirping something they couldn't hear clearly to each other.

Naruto found himself grinning brightly. " Now that's cute."

To his surprise, something that looked quite close to agony flashed by Sasuke's face and the girl shuddered as though she'd been hit by a weapon of some sort. Her lips moved, but no detectable sound came out. And with that she was walking away.

He blinked a bit while staring at the girl's distancing back, not understanding a thing anymore. " What the heck was that all about?" he finally demanded out loud, glancing towards the brunette beside him. " Did I say something wrong?"

TenTen's eyes darkened for a moment before she smiled just a little bit and shook her head. " No, you didn't. It's just that children… are a sore topic for Sasuke."

He frowned. " Why?" Then, he clicked. That tiny cross he'd once seen Sasuke kneeling by… (1)

A look of guilt flashed by the brunette's face. " Let's… just move it, alright?" The girl's hand moved subconsciously to her stomach. " We don't need to get into any more trouble."

He nodded, disappointment wrapping around his throat like a rope. They didn't speak a word while following the trail Sasuke had taken not much earlier.

* * *

It was a slow and rather hard process, but little by little Gaara found his old strength starting to return. He was by no means in the condition to leave the motel – after all, he could barely walk – but at least he wasn't completely useless anymore.

He was just struggling his way around the motel's room he'd been occupying much too long when the door opened after a knock. Haku smiled a little when entering and seeing him up. " I take that as you're feeling better already." The girl shoved him a tray. " I brought you some lunch."

As little as he usually smiled, he couldn't keep a trace of such from appearing. " Thank you." Deciding that he needed some exercise, he walked – or rather wobbled – closer while she put down the food and started to reveal all the equipment taking care of his wounds required. " Can I help you?" He couldn't understand his behavior; he was _never_ like this with anyone.

Haku also seemed confused for a bit, but then shook her head with a soft expression. " No, I think I'll…"

She never got the chance to finish, because just then his knees buckled. She barely had the time to rush over to him and break his fall before he hit the floor. " Are you alright?"

He looked away, gritting his teeth with annoyance. " Yes." It came out so sharply that he sighed and calmed himself for a moment. " Yes. I am."

Without saying a word she helped him to a nearby chair. As soon as she'd made sure he'd be able to sit just fine on his own she started to examine his injuries. A flash of something close to worry could be seen in her eyes. " I'm sorry, but one of the wounds was torn open. I'll have to patch it up again."

He nodded. For some reason being poked like this didn't bother him all that much when she did it.

For the longest time comfortable silence lingered with Haku focusing on her work and he working his hardest to sort out his spinning, confusing and dangerous thoughts.

In the end he found himself speaking the about last words he would've ever expected to utter. " I've… never liked people all that much." He couldn't understand what made him think this girl deserved his trust like this. He winced a bit when she changed one of the dressings on his wounds, but the pain soon subsided. " But… You're different."

He thought he saw the faintest trace of a blush. Haku didn't look at him. " Really, now?" There was a pause while the raven seemed to focus on the work at hand. " You give me awfully lot of credit, then."

He looked away, feeling ashamed. " Hn."

He shivered with pleasure when the girl's hand brushed his arm while she got up, preparing to leave. There was the usual softness upon her face, but also something else – tension, sadness almost. " I'll come and see you again as soon as I can, alright? Now try to eat something."

And with that she'd already left once more, slipped out of his reach.

-

As soon as she was out of the room, Haku rested one hand against a wall, closed her eyes and gave a deep, shuddering breath.

She was going too far, sinking too deep. She'd have to bring an end to it before she'd destroy them both.

With that thought she pulled out a long, extremely sharp knife and walked to a nearby bathroom. Once there she looked at her reflection in the mirror for some moments before giving what wasn't more than a whisper. " I'm sorry."

With that she closed her eyes and lifted the blade, ran it through her long hair. When she dared to look again, her hair was extremely short. Once she'd change her clothes, the transformation would be complete.

A jolt of sadness went through her heart.

If this – lying about her gender, about _everything_ – was what it took to keep Gaara far enough, then so be it. She wasn't about to make him pay for her mistakes.

With that thought she turned around and left the room, her steps much heavier than before.

* * *

Quite late that evening, Temari muttered cusses half aloud while returning from a yet another fruitless trip of looking for Kankuro.

There had still been no signs of her brother, and she was getting extremely worried, as well as irritated.

" It's not exactly safe for a girl to run around out there alone, you know?" Shikamaru's voice startled her, although she would've never admitted it out loud. Looking to side, she found the boy – who was currently stood before a window – glancing right back. " The people around here… aren't exactly pleasant at this hour."

She snorted, rolling her eyes. " Thanks, but I think I can take care of myself."

She was almost walking away when he spoke again. " You know… I saw the scars and wounds on your brother." Shikamaru's eyebrows were mildly furrowed when their gazes met again. " You two have clearly been fighting for a long time."

She knew it was dangerous to give information to strangers, but at the moment she was too exhausted and annoyed to care. " Yeah, a war and exile does that to you", she muttered.

Shikamaru seemed surprised. " A war, at your age?"

Her eyes flashed while very unpleasant memories surfaced. " Hmph."

They were silent for a while until the boy spoke again. " Where are you from, anyway? Somewhere down south, right?"

She felt a small slash of irritation. What was it with this interrogation? " You wouldn't know that place", she stated, deciding that it was a high time to leave. " But I can tell you that despite war, it's much more comfortable than this rat hole. Now, if you excuse me…"

Shikamaru, however, didn't seem willing to let her go. His hands became pressed to the wall, to both sides of her head, while his determination filled eyes burned into hers. " Not yet." He leaned closer, most likely not even noticing it. " I've got the right to ask questions, you know? This whole village, not to mention us in this motel, could get into a huge trouble for hiding a fugitive."

She held back a snarl. " Yes, I'm very much aware of those facts. And that's one of the reasons why I'd like to end this interrogation here." Her reflexes then worked in a flash. In just a blink she dug down, and didn't even try to hold back a laugh when watching how Shikamaru's lips slammed against a wall.

The boy stood frozen for a moment until finally managing to rip his lips off of the cold wall. He glared a little when noticing her expression. " I'm glad you found that amusing."

She shrugged, working up her best innocent look. " I didn't even say a word." With that she turned around and started to walk away. " Now, I'm tired and pissed off, so I better go to bed before I'll end up damaging more than your ego. Goodnight."

-

While watching Temari disappear, Shikamaru noticed a new lightness in her step, and a grin spread to his face.

_This is really getting interesting…_

His eyes, however, darkened after a moment, all signs of mirth disappearing. " You heard that, right?" His voice was unusually stiff. " She's on a run, that's all. There's no sign of her being a threat, so leave her alone."

" We'll see about that." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed chillingly while he stepped out of shadows. " Now go, and make sure she'll leave this place as fast as possible. If she catches on to anything, she'll have to be… disposed."

He nodded, feeling sick to his stomach, then walked out of the room without being able to say a word.

-

Not all that far away, her back pressed tightly against a wall, Temari breathed as deeply as she could without making it loud when the conversation she'd just heard started to sink in. Her widened eyes flashed.

_So I ended up even closer to my target than I was supposed to._

She swallowed thickly and shivered.

_This isn't going to end prettily._

* * *

That evening, Sasuke was desperately trying to calm her nerves with a cup of tea. The room was dark, only illuminated by occasional flashes of thunder that could barely be heard through a pouring rain. Apart from those sounds it was completely quiet.

Or was until she caught approaching steps.

She frowned when turning her head and finding Naruto. " What are you doing here?"

The blonde shrugged. " 'No idea. I felt like walking around, I guess." There was a long silence, after which the boy looked at her. " Sasuke, what… happened today? You seemed freaked out when you saw those kids."

She could tell that no matter how hard she tried not to show emotions, her eyes flashed. " Do you honestly think we're close enough for a talk like this?"

He scoffed. " There's no need to bite my head off for asking, you know?"

There was a long, still silence, after which Naruto slumped to the couch beside her, appearing exhausted. " Look… It would be fantastic if you'd trust me enough to tell me, but…" He sighed, gesturing with his hands. He'd obviously never been all that good at this stuff. " Right now, this is enough, okay?"

Sasuke felt almost baffled when staring at him for a moment before looking away again. Her shoulders relaxed. " Hn."

-

Naruto knew he was crossing a line he definitely shouldn't have, that he was probably making a huge mistake. But at the moment he just didn't manage to care that much – he was too tired.

Sasuke shivered when he rested his head against the girl's shoulder, all but leaning against her. " What do you think you're doing?"

He made strange sound even he couldn't identify. " I'm just tired, okay? I've been training all day."

She blinked, probably thinking that he wouldn't see it. " In that rain?"

" Hmm." He yawned. " 'Had a lot to think about, that's all." _You and such things_, he thought gloomily.

Naruto knew that he was pushing his luck when closing his eyes and relaxing, but at the moment he was too tired and comfortable to care.

He couldn't explain it, but something about Sasuke's scent and warmth calmed him, made him feel safe. So what harm could a quick little nap do?

At first his mind turned cloudy, until sleep wrapped around him like a warm blanket.

-

As soon as Naruto was definitely asleep Sasuke moved, crawling away from the couch as subtly as she could to avoid waking up the boy. For the longest time she simply stood there, watching how the blonde breathed evenly, appearing so content that she felt a small slash inside.

In the end her hand moved, pulling out a tiny needle she'd just gotten from Orochimaru. Metal was dipped in something almost purple.

/ _" Give this to him – that's all you need to do to regain your freedom. Just one pinch."_ /

/ _" Right now, this is enough, okay?"_ /

Her eyes narrowed with rage and self hatred when her hand moved once more. She ended up pulling a blanket over the blonde and putting the needle away.

She sighed heavily as soon as she was done.

Was this how weak she'd become? She couldn't even finish one assignment…

What she didn't realize in her current state of mind, was that her hand brushed Naruto's cheek, and the boy leaned eagerly against the touch.

In the end she turned around and started to walk away, her eyes even darker than usually.

It was time to move.

Kabuto gave her a look while she entered the motel's potion- and herb room, which was hidden deep in the basement floor of the building. " What are you doing here?"

Her expression didn't even weaver while she lied. " That idiot is feeling sick. I have to give him something. We don't want him to die or fall ill just yet, right?" She gave him a meaningful look. " Now, if you don't mind…"

Taking the hint the boy left, although there was a look of mistrust in his eyes.

As soon as his steps had disappeared she looked for the potion Kabuto had just made for Orochimaru. She found a tiny bottle full of very disgusting looking, greenish liquid.

It was time to add the final piece…

Her hand didn't tremble the slightest while she pulled out a tiny bottle of her own, which was filled with deviously beautiful blue liquid. Careful not to put too much she dropped some of it to the potion – just a couple of drops more than the previous days.

Yes, she despised doing something like this. But if she had to choose this or freedom – and Naruto's life, she wasn't completely ready to add – she was more than willing.

And with that thought the cocktail was fully done. In just a couple of hours Orochimaru would gulp it down.

Her eyes were chillingly blank as she put the bottle where it belonged, turned around and left the room.

* * *

In the meantime Jiraiya was doing the exact thing he'd always scolded Naruto for – surrendering under his curiosity.

His steps didn't make a sound while he entered the forbidden basement floor of the motel, then started to walk forward, his ears strained to their extreme. In a while – despite all the darkness – his other senses became active as well, and he had to fight with himself to not gasp.

The stench that met his nose… was unbelievable; a mixture of mold, sheer filth and blood, as well rotten and burning meat. Blood could also be seen on the floor, and even walls.

Cold shivers ran down his spine, and he could just feel color disappear from his face.

_What the hell is going on here?!_

So worked up he was, that he didn't hear the approaching steps until it was much too late. " I made the rules clear when you arrived, didn't I?" Orochimaru's voice sent an electric jolt down his back, and it took his all not to make a sound. " This area is prohibited."

Very slowly he turned around, desperately trying to create a careless grin. " Sorry. I just… though I heard something."

Orochimaru seemed amused, if anything. Apparently the man wasn't a fool, then. " You really shouldn't trust your ears around here, Jiraiya-kun."

Shivers ran through him, as though as a sign of recognition. He frowned, looking bravely into those horrifying eyes before him. " How…?" The little voice he'd had faded away.

The snake's eyes looking back at him were so chilling that he shivered despite himself. " You really don't remember, do you?" The man clicked his tongue while shaking his head. " They've done an amazing job, then."

A deep frown appeared to his face, and only his pride kept him from taking a step backwards. " What the hell are you talking about?"

Before he could react in any way Orochimaru's hand reached out, and brushed his shoulder almost gently with delicate fingers. He shivered at how tender his skin was all of a sudden. " If you really want to remember, Jiraiya-kun…" The man's eyes gleamed when meeting his. " … you'll have to dig a lot deeper than this." The other then started to walk away, as though nothing had ever happened. " I'll be sending one of my employees here in five minutes. Make sure you're out before that."

He remained absolutely still for several minutes after the man had disappeared, shivering furiously and about a ton of dark ideas swelling in the back of his head.

Something was very, _very_ wrong was going on around here – something even worse than what he'd feared after finding the first clues. The secrets of this place went much deeper than he'd ever expected.

He really wished Kakashi would show up soon, so Naruto and he would be able to disappear before it'd be too late…

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) In case you don't remember, because it was such a minor thing and it's been a while… This refers to a scene in chappy two. (grins)

* * *

A/N: And Jiraiya gets a taste of just how bad things are going to get. (shivers) But what's this – is Sasuke trying to fight back…?

Awkay, my eyes are getting dryer than sandpaper from me staring at the computer screen for too long, so I'll tune out now.

Please, PLEASE do leave a note before sneaking away. Aww, I can just feel you want to. After all, you want those reward treats I've storaged for Christmas, no…? (smirks mysteriously)

Until the next update, folks – gosh, how I hope that comes soon enough!

Be good!

And just in case… HAPPY, CHOCOLATE FILLED HOLIDAYS! (grins brightly)


	5. Crossed Lines

A/N: Weh! It's taken way too much time again (winces), but here it finally is – chapter five! (cheers loudly)

Firstly, thank you so much for those unbelievably heart warming reviews! (HUUUGS) You do know how incredibly happy they make the silly me, no? (grins)

Awkay, because I think I've kept you waiting WAY longer than you'd deserve already, let's get going! I truly hope you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

/ _Naruto had never been ashamed of his tears, not even after becoming a ninja. That's why it felt odd to him how embarrassed he felt when cryi__ng that day, although it was raining so hard that no one would've been able to see the tears._

_His hands trembled when he placed a flower to a grave. It was a single white lily that held a touch of blue. " H – Hey", was the only greeting he managed to give. He swallowed thickly. " I… __I'm sorry__ I __don't__ come __here__ more often. It's just… I don't like this place too much." For some reason he had a feeling that he'd been understood, and he felt slightly calmer than before. He waited for a while before going on, his voice still oddly choked. " I… I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, mom. Wherever you are."_

" _Naruto." He turned his head quickly towards Jiraiya's voice. " Are you ready to go?"_

_Of course the man couldn't know he was crying while he grinned. " Yup! Let's head for the mission already."_

-

_Sasuke's eyes were closed while she pulled in a deep breath that was supposed to be evening, then pushed air out until she started to feel dizzy._

_The pain in her stomach escalated, rewarding her efforts, and despite herself she winced, even emitted a tiny, pathetic mew._

" _Sasuke?" TenTen's familiar voice – which barely reached her from the shadows – sounded unnaturally quiet. Cracking her eyes open she found the girl staring at the huge wound on her stomach the brunette had been bandaging. " I know Orochimaru's orders, but if you don't feel up to this…" Her friend trailed off._

_Her eyes darkened, turned empty, while she got up from her bed slowly, feeling a desperate need to hide her body all of a sudden. " I'm perfectly fine", she stated in a remarkably convincing tone. It turned out her outfit was much easier to put on properly than she'd thought. She turned around sharply, starting to walk away. " Now let's go. I've wasted enough time already."_

-

_Of course the two broken hearts couldn't know that they were starting a __journey__ towards each other._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 5: Crossed Lines

* * *

For some reason Naruto woke up very early that morning. It confused him – he'd never woken up before eight without being basically pulled out of the bed.

He, however, shrugged the disturbance away. Everything was exceptional in this place, it seemed. It only made sense he was going insane.

He sighed, then got up. There was no use in lying in the bed when his head was buzzing like this. About ten minutes later he left the room after leaving a note to still sleeping Jiraiya.

He blinked at all the thick mist he met when stepping outside, once more to the inner yard of the motel. He didn't manage to become surprised when discovering that Sasuke was already outside, stood before the mysterious tiny cross with her fists balled tightly. Although he knew he was most likely risking his very life he approach, stood beside the girl.

As he'd expected, she gave him a heated look. " What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, no longer bothering to become insulted by her words. " Just trying to wake myself up, I guess." They stood in a thoughtful, somewhat confused silence for a while until he finally managed to gather the courage to speak. " Aiko… She was your daughter, right?"

Sasuke seemed almost shocked for just a moment – as though unable to believe that he could possibly come up with a conclusion like that. Then her expression turned blank, and she nodded slowly, barely visibly.

He swallowed thickly, finding himself shivering. _Oh damn…_ For the longest time he stood still, not knowing what to do, until his hand worked for him.

Sasuke shuddered when his hand took hers into a surprisingly gentle hold, but unlike he'd expected she didn't pull the limb away.

-

Sasuke closed her eyes, feeling very exhausted all of a sudden.

She knew escaping from the situation would've been the wisest thing to do – the only sensible thing she could've done. But… She was so sick of running already. Besides, this was the closest to screaming her heart out she'd gotten. Wouldn't she be allowed to have at least this tiny amount of relief?

-

Comfortable, almost companionable silence lingered while they simply stood there, watching the desolate cross.

* * *

Already when he'd started out his… relationship with TenTen – found her nearby that pitch-black place and become enchanted – Neji had known there'd be a lot of heartbreak ahead of him. He, however, had never expected to feel like dying. Yet that was exactly how he felt when looking at his picture in the mirror, gazing with revulsion at the wedding outfit he'd been forced to pull on.

How was he supposed to plan his wedding when all he could feel was TenTen's touch, when everything that fit into his ears was her voice?

/ _" You can't love me, either!"_ /

He raised his fist to shatter the mirror that seemed to be mocking him when the door opened, and his uncle entered with a surprisingly dark expression. It seemed the man knew in an instant when looking at him. " You're thinking of… _that_ again, aren't you?"

He felt so furious that it took his all not to attack the man. " And you expect me not to?" he hissed. It was the first time he rose against his uncle like this, but it didn't really matter to him at the moment. " I _love_ her! So do you honestly think that this stupid…" He gestured violently towards his clothes. " … charade changes anything?"

" That 'charade' is your wedding", Hiashi snarled, seeming so outraged that it visibly took all the man had not to punch him. " Which has been rescheduled, by the way." The man folded his arms, and seemed like a dark giant all of a sudden. " Out of the request of Yamanaka family, you'll be getting married in five days."

His eyes first widened, then sharpened with rage. " What?!"

" I think you heard me very well." The man turned around, starting to leave. " Get ready. The first rehearsal takes place in half an hour." With that his uncle was gone.

At first he stared at the closed door – that of his prison cell, it now felt to him. Then, so abruptly that it scared him, a loud, inhuman cry of agony left him when it felt like his chest had been torn apart.

Had he been in the state to listen, he would've heard how Hiashi's steps paused for just a moment when the man heard his scream, then went on as though nothing in particular had happened.

* * *

That evening Orochimaru seemed to be in a particularly good mood, because the man actually allowed almost everyone in the motel to go outside for one hour – apparently there was a festival of some sort in the village. For whoever knows what reason Naruto and Sasuke moved together.

Naruto found himself grinning impossibly brightly when they ended up to a marketplace, where music was playing and some people had actually appeared to enjoy themselves. For once the village didn't look like a ghost town.

He grabbed Sasuke's hand without even realizing it. " C'mon – I wanna dance!"

The girl made a sound of irritation. " Dance, with a dobe like you? No thanks."

He gave her a demanding look. " Awww, c'mon, don't be a spoilsport – for just this once!"

She rolled her eyes. " Fine. But I'm not taking responsibility over the consequences." He felt hot – uncomfortably so – when the girl's hands moved on him, giving orders to step closer which he gladly accepted. " Let's see if you're any good."

" Hmph", was all he managed to produce.

They swayed slowly at first – settling to each other's paces and trying to get used to one another's touches – but then the music picked up, became nearly heated. They added speed, not caring the slightest when it made them dizzy, feeling like they'd been in some strange new world no one else had access to.

He shivered with pleasure he would've rather not admitted when Sasuke's warm breath tickled his ear as she whispered. " I'm surprised."  
He snorted, finding his hold on her tightening as he somehow sensed eyes watching them. " What? You thought I'd be hopeless?"

Sasuke smirked just a little bit when their gazes met. " That's because you're the clumsiest person I've ever met. And at the moment you're standing on my toes."

He felt a bright blush attacking, no matter how hard he fought against it. " Teme."

Yet instead of leaving he only pulled her closer, his lips tingling.

-

Sasuke knew she was making a huge, unforgivable mistake, that she'd pay a high price for her deed. But she couldn't hold herself back when the burning under her skin felt like this.

Naruto's lips were warm and softer than she'd expected when she brushed them with her own – lightly, but still enough for the blonde to be able to feel it. She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she was fairly sure the boy's lips twitched just a little bit when she drew herself away after a millisecond and whispered in a voice she couldn't recognize. " Forget about this, alright? Because you have to leave this place _now_, or you'll never be able to. Understood?"

With that she left, although it was almost unbearable to feel those blue eyes watching her go.

* * *

During the past days Gaara had noticed that Haku had become much more quiet than before. The girl's appearance had changed as well – her hair was now short, and she no longer wore a kimono. It was almost as though she'd been trying to hide every single trace of her gender. He would've wanted to ask what was wrong – if he'd done something – but figured that it wasn't his place. So he waited, hoping that she'd eventually trust him enough.

So worked up by those thoughts he was, that he didn't notice her ankle twist, sending her falling until she was already in his arms. They both blushed, although he worked his hardest to fight against it. Then, before he could even think about what he was doing, he found himself leaning forward towards the raven's lips – only to find himself being stopped by a surprisingly rough hand.

He frowned, feeling confused and hurt. " What's wrong?"

Haku's eyes became even darker than usual. " Gaara, you… You really shouldn't do that. Because…" There was a sharp inhale and a wheezing exhale while the other visibly gathered courage. " Because… I'm not what you think." Dark eyes looked directly into his. " Gaara, I'm a boy. That game of dressing up… It was all just an act."

His head spun, trying to take in this information. Haku managed to slip from his hold easily.

So, Haku… was never a girl at all? The raven had only used him to gain his trust?

He felt sick to his stomach, betrayed. He couldn't meet Haku's eyes anymore although embarrassment was slowly striking him numb.

The other was silent for the longest time until a soft voice he liked far more than he should have came. " Do you… wish me to leave?"

He nodded, his throat too tight for words.

He wanted her – _him_, he quickly corrected himself – out of the room, because he had absolutely no idea what his next move would be.

It was the first time he didn't try to stop the raven from leaving.

-

Once outside the room, Haku found herself leaning heavily against the door. She grit her teeth painfully and squeezed her eyes tightly shut when there was a sound of something breaking inside. (How odd. She was almost sure such a sound came from inside her as well.)

_I'm sorry._ She refused to speak those words. _But… Maybe you'll understand one day._

She could only pray he would.

" Haku?" Sasuke's voice managed to startle her. " Is something wrong?"

She fought furiously – with all her might – and could eventually feel the stiffness within her disappear. She smiled warmly to her friend. " No, I'm fine." Her eyes then darkened, betraying her. " It's… time for us to go to the basement, no?"

Sasuke nodded darkly.

They didn't speak a word while going.

* * *

Naruto's head hurt with confusion when he finally entered he and Jiraiya's room.

The man gave him a weird look. " Now what's with you?"

He scoffed. " Sasuke, that's what." He flapped his arms wildly. " I swear, that teme's driving me insane on purpose! We've gotta get away from here before she'll wreck the last of my sanity!" He stopped the rant when noticing that Jiraiya was in fact smiling. " What's so funny?"

The man smirked. " Now that sounds familiar."

He frowned, by then utterly lost. " What are you talking about?"

He wasn't sure if Jiraiya's expression was amused, sad or worried. " Because… A little less than two decades ago I heard a man who looked just like you make that exact same speech about a woman who was about as spicy as Sasuke." The man hesitated for a moment, as though wondering what his words would cause. " His name was Minato Namikaze."

For a moment an incoherent flood rushed through Naruto's head, until he found himself frowning. " Minato?" He was sure he'd heard that name before – it sounded so familiar that it hurt – but he couldn't summon a picture of the man's face. " Who is he?"

Jiraiya's face carried the strangest of expressions for a moment, until the man grinned and waved a hand dismissively. " Meh, that's a long story for some other time."

He would've wanted to press forth, but knew it to be pointless – if there was a person who could be more stubborn than he was, it was his teacher. Therefore he nodded with disappointment.

Thanks to his forgetfulness, it was easy for him to go back to the original problem. A frown wrinkled his whole forehead. " What about Sasuke?" he demanded, his gaze all but pleading for help. " What the heck should I do? I mean…"

He would've probably blabbered on forever, which was most likely why Jiraiya chose to look at him with oddly soft eyes. " In all honesty, kit, I think you already know."

And to his surprise he did.

He left the room, closing the door soundlessly.

-

Once left alone Jiraiya rubbed his forehead with three fingers, giving a low growl.

_What the hell have I done?_

* * *

In the meantime Sasuke winced when pain crossed her entire being for what felt like the umpteenth time, only her pride keeping her from screaming.

She hissed when Orochimaru – who'd pinned her against a wall – stepped even closer. " You're slipping, Sasuke-kun", the man announced in a snake's voice. " You're letting the target much too close – under your skin." Something sharp met her skin, and she could no longer tell what it was. " Do you need to be reminded of how much those slip ups may cost you?"

Somehow she managed to summon a glare. " I will take care of things – of him – in my own way." She wondered if the man could see through her pathetic lie. " So drop it."

The man leaned closer – so close that she felt repulsed. " Just remember to whom you belong…", the man murmured, brushing her tattooed shoulder. " … Sasuke-kun."

Knowing Orochimaru, backing away would've been the most sensible thing to do. But she didn't feel like playing a fool that day.

Defying all pain and reason, she spun fast, ending up so that Orochimaru was pinned against the wall instead. Her eyes flashed red in the room's light. " Enough…", she hissed. " … is enough for today." With that she all but stormed off.

-

Once Sasuke had left Kabuto stepped forth. " What do you want to do?"

Orochimaru's eyes flashed. " It looks like you were right. We have to tighten the leash."

* * *

That evening Temari found herself so exhausted and irritated that she knew only one thing would bring her comfort. It was cold and comfortably silent on the motel's roof as she sat, admiring the stars. Or was, until she heard someone crawl over to keep her company.

She couldn't keep herself from glaring when meeting Shikamaru. " Now what?" She wouldn't have wanted to be hostile, but the conversation between the boy and Orochimaru she'd heard some days earlier didn't give her another chance. She couldn't let herself trust him.

The brunette didn't seem taken aback by her tone. " Gaara's been looking for you for a while now."

She nodded vaguely, coming to a decision that her brother could wait for a little bit longer, then looked towards what seemed like millions of stars. " Pretty, huh?"

Shikamaru made an odd sound. " Yeah… I guess…"

She frowned when looking at the boy and noticing how pale he was. " What's wrong?"

The boy swallowed with what looked like a lot of difficulty. " I've… never been a huge fan of heights." The voice was choked. " I… I don't understand why… I came here."

She surprised herself with grinning a bit – until she noticed what the boy was carrying and the entire world spun. Her chest turned very – unbearably – cold all of a sudden as she stared at the book in the brunette's hand, every single piece clicking painfully.

She recognized that piece of art, much too well in fact. Every single line on its cover, the exact shade of yellow of the old pages, the slightly faded cover…

_Kankuro…!_

Shikamaru frowned, obviously not catching on yet. " What's wrong?"

She'd been holding herself back for so long already. At that moment she lost all the last traces of self-control.

Shikamaru gasped faintly when she placed a knife to his throat, her eyes narrowing dangerously. " You tell me exactly what's going on here, or I'll slice your throat. Do we understand each other?"

* * *

Sasuke's whole body throbbed when she stepped out of a bathroom, feeling filthy although all blood had been washed away already. She felt nauseated, and would've most likely thrown up if she'd been a little less in control over herself.

She didn't even hear the familiar sound. " Sasuke."

All of a sudden her vision swayed, and before she could break the fall she was stumbling towards the floor – only to find a foreign pair of arms catching her. She felt too weak and dizzy to fight back when she was pulled to a warm chest and the whoever was holding her sat to the floor, taking her along.

" Woah!" It took several moments before her head was coherent enough to catch the demanding voice. " Sasuke, what the heck is going on?"

She took a deep breath before managing to bring herself to meet Naruto's eyes. " _Nothing_ is going on, dobe. So you can leave me alone."

She, however, didn't manage to hide all the signs proving she was lying, for Naruto was already observing her eyes and body. Blue eyes flashed. " He… hurts you, doesn't he?"

She grit her teeth. " Just drop it, will you? It's none of your business."

" You can't let him keep doing this to you!" Naruto bellowed. " Let me take you away from here!"

She didn't bother hiding her emotions when looking at him. " Idiot… Don't you understand?" Judging by the look on Naruto's face, there must've been sadness in her eyes. " This is the furthest I can go – this is where I belong."

He shook his head vehemently, apparently refusing to believe those words. " You can't seriously believe that."

She could tell her eyes were even darker than usual when she looked away, her fists balled tightly. " I can't build my life on illusions, and neither should you."

At that moment Naruto grabbed her chin to make her look at him, and such a bout of determination filled his eyes that she had to gasp faintly. " I won't believe that, and I have a feeling that neither can you", he announced rather gruffly.

She sighed heavily, feeling a headache surfacing. Naruto was making this too damn difficult. " I'm not letting you take a risk like that for me, idiot. You don't even know me."

" Yes, I do." The utter certainty behind that proclaim took her breath away. There was no hesitation in the boy's blue eyes. " I know you, better than I've ever known anyone. And when I leave this place you _will_ come with me, because I'm not letting you spend another day in this hellhole."

Of course she knew she was making a huge, ridiculous mistake, but at the moment it seemed all reason had flown away from her head. And so she didn't dodge as his lips started to approach hers. " Damn idiot…", she murmured before his lips caught hers.

When Naruto wrapped his arms tightly around her, she realized that she didn't care about the fact that this road would hold no chance for tomorrow.

-

Fortunately they couldn't possibly know about the unwanted pair of eyes watching them. The shadow disappeared just as fast and deviously as it'd arrived.

* * *

It wasn't often Jiraiya would've felt as relieved as he did when spotting a familiar bush of silvery hair nearby the village's borderline late that evening. " You're late", he announced immediately, folding his arms.

Kakashi gave him a slightly sheepish look. " 'Sorry about that – I… ran into a old friend." The man paused for a while to catch his breath, then frowned. " I got your message. Are you and Naruto alright?"

He shrugged a bit. " We've managed – although it looks like the brat is growing up a bit too fast." His expression then darkened. " But… I've gathered more information, and I'm afraid the situation is even worse than I thought. That motel seems like a stage for something hazardous. The whole village is talking about Snake Demon Orochimaru."

" Orochimaru…?!" Kakashi's face grew so solemn and pale that he knew to be alarmed. " Damn it, Jiraiya…"

A frown appeared to his face. " Do you know him?"

Instead of answering Kakashi paled significantly and sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment. " We have to get Naruto out of that place, before it's too late."  
His frown deepened sill while cold shivers came. " What the hell are you talking about?" Who was this Orochimaru? What had he gotten Naruto into?

Kakashi mused where to begin for a moment. " Jiraiya… Do you know the story of a Chosen Child?"

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: So, the curtain is finally starting to fall… (shudders) And how about this – our two boneheads are FINALLY starting to grow closer! (grins)

Heh, I've got a slightly busy schedule because I'm determined to get several projects pushed forth before the year changes, so I've gotta start hopping forth right about now. But before that…

**PLEASE**, do leave a lil' comment before skipping away! Awww, I know you want to – I can just feel it. (glances with HUUUUGE, hopeful eyes)

'Til next time, folks – do join the right next year as well! (smirks)

Be good!

And have a happy New Year!


	6. Before The Storm

A/N: Guess what? The new chapter is FINALLY done – HOORAY! (jumps up and down with joy)

BUT, first off… MAN, thank you so much for those absolutely ego inflating reviews! (HUUUGS) Awww, you really know how to make an author happy. (grins BRIGHTLY)

Oukey, since keeping you hanging would be pretty close to torture, let's get going, ne? 'Hope you'll have a good time.

* * *

/ **Nine And A Half Months Later.** /

* * *

" Don't you dare start giving up on me now!" an unnaturally tight voice all but pleaded, full of utter despair. " I'm not letting you, alright? Not after everything we've been through, not when we finally made it here." Sharp eyes burned when meeting the barely open, duller ones. " There's… something I've been meaning to say. You'll never hear it, if…" The rest was swallowed.

Hesitantly at first, a slightly more tanned hand wrapped around the paler one, then tightened, holding on determinedly. After a moment the paler fingers moved barely traceably.

There was a tiny sob in the room.

As from then the only sound that could be heard by the outside world was a shrill, hopeless cry.

* * *

CHAPTER 6: Before The Storm

* * *

/ **Present Time.** /

* * *

The first days after their forbidden kiss had been rather awkward for Naruto and Sasuke. Not knowing how to be around each other – what to think and how to act without causing trouble on one another – they avoided close contact most of the time.

Fortunately that'd been surprisingly easy thus far. Orochimaru had come up with what felt like about a million new tasks for Sasuke, and to Naruto it seemed Jiraiya had gone completely crazy with how hard the man had been training him lately. He wondered with dread if something had happened to Kakashi, and would've asked if he'd expected to get an answer.

That day very close to winter, however, they ran out of luck and ended up being forced to face each other.

Stepping out of the motel, once again finding his way to the building's inner yard, Naruto shivered a little when spotting Sasuke there, kneeling before the tiny cross of her daughter while biting wind slashed her.

Shivering again – from cold or something else, he didn't know – he approached, stopped five steps from her.

Before he could speak Sasuke stiffened. Her voice barely carried over the wind. " You shouldn't be here. I think you're already in enough trouble."

He felt a slash. " I won't give up on you just like that."

When Sasuke finally looked at him, there was something that looked like disbelief on her face. It, however, disappeared in seconds. " I was supposed to help Orochimaru capture you – I'm sure you know that." The dark eyes flaming into his were filled with what looked like despair. " I was supposed to make sure you wouldn't leave this place. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

His heart jumped a little, but soon filled with something scarily powerful. " I'm still not leaving without you." He'd never felt this sure about anything. " I've already lost enough important people, okay? You won't end up to that list."

-

Sasuke couldn't keep herself from blinking twice at those words.

So now he considered her an important person? She knew well she'd grown far too soft, but had she really been foolish enough to let him this close?

Although it was the last thing she would've wanted to do, she knew there was only one way to push the blonde back to a safe distance.

" There's something I want to show you", she announced.

* * *

During the past days Gaara hadn't spoken a word to Haku, although the raven visited his room ever so often – out of duty, he told himself. In the end he barely even looked at the other, because it was too hard to face the defeated, empty expression on the teen's face.

He didn't know why he still felt that way after Haku had revealed what the tingle they'd had was about, didn't understand why he still cared about someone who'd almost betrayed him like that. He couldn't understand himself at all.

His head perked up at the sound of something falling. A small frown appeared when he watched Haku look for support from a nearby wall with one hand brought to cover mouth. A tea mug had shattered to pieces when falling to the floor.

At that moment – seeing the other's condition – he couldn't hold himself back any longer. " Are you alright?"

For just a moment Haku seemed nearly startled by the fact that he'd actually spoken, then created a pathetic attempt of a smile. " I… I'm fine." The voice was openly soft, like the one he'd first grown accustomed to. The raven looked away, towards the shards of the mug. " I'm sorry… About the mess."

He shook his head before managing to stop himself. " It's alright."

For a moment Haku attempted to clean up, then – so suddenly that it startled them both – broke into a wrenching bout of coughs that forced the working to stop. The raven's face contorted under what seemed like a hellish wave of pain.

Cold shivers crossed his being. Not even bothering to try and stop himself he got up and walked up to the other with slow steps. He trembled a little when seeing that the hand Haku had brought to cover her – _his_, he corrected himself – mouth was almost covered in blood. " You're not alright", he all but murmured after a while.

Haku wouldn't even look at him while trying to get up unsuccessfully. " I… will be fine, in a little bit. Just give me a moment." Despite those words even more coughs erupted, bringing out blood the raven didn't manage to hide. In the end the situation was so bad that Haku could barely breathe, but nonetheless the teen struggled into a standing position and attempted to leave the room. " I have to go." It was nothing but a wheeze.

That did it to him. He didn't really enjoy using the skills his new village had taught him, but this time he didn't have a choice.

Haku barely had the time to gasp when his fingers met the teen's neck, and the raven slumped limply into his waiting arms. He was nearly startled by how little the body weighed in his hold – far too little.

When Haku would wake up from this rest he'd have to ask about this – whether the raven was an enemy or not. Otherwise he'd never get any peace.

He'd just laid the raven gently to his bed when there was a knock and Temari entered. His sister gave the unconscious teen an inquisitive look. " Do I want to know?"

His eyes flashed a little while he turned away from the raven forcefully. " No." He then frowned when noticing a slightly banged up looking brunette he faintly remembered as Shikamaru stood behind the girl. " What's going on?"

Temari's eyes flashed in a way he knew much too well. " I just… found out some information." Something about her tone told him that he didn't want to know the details. " Kankuro might be closer than we thought."

* * *

Naruto was mildly surprised that instead of those places he'd been guessing Sasuke took him to a cliff about a kilometre from the motel.

" Does Orochimaru know you're taking me here?" he inquired, feeling somewhat nervous when imagining what the snake eyed freak would do if he'd ever find out about this.

Sasuke's eyes flashed, but didn't turn towards him. " Hn." She then seemed to brace herself, although she tried to hide it. " We're here."

He turned his gaze – and frowned, feeling extremely cold shivers.

Before him spread at least twenty-five rather plain tombstones. Each of them had the same family name that made him gasp as realization dawned.

_Uchiha…?!_

" They were about to betray Konoha when the council got a message." Sasuke held a tiny pause, folding her arms with her gaze fixed to the stones. " Less than twenty-four hours before they would've wiped out the village they were all butchered. They were buried here to avoid a hassle."

His head spun as memories of all those tales he'd been told about _that_ night flashed by. The Uchiha clan had been Konoha's greatest mistake, people said – a mighty family that'd gotten so drunken with power that it'd destroyed itself. It'd been said that none of the family members had survived through the events of that night.

It appeared they'd been mistaken, for as he looked at Sasuke…

He swallowed thickly. " What… happened?" How could she be alive?

Onyx eyes flashed. " It… was very late at night. I woke up to some muffled sounds I couldn't recognize and got out of my bed." She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again they were filled with a declaration of war, almost. " Itachi was there, covered in their blood. My parents… They were dead." She grit her teeth, eyes narrowing. " Konoha had ordered them to be wiped out. After that night only two Uchihas remained."

Despite the chaos inside his head he gathered quickly.

Only two – Sasuke, and Itachi. " Brothers…"

For just a moment surprise could be seen on Sasuke's face, but she wiped it away quickly. " Hardly. I don't consider him anything anymore." The girl looked downwards and swallowed thickly. " I ran away from the village that night, swearing to destroy it along with Itachi. I would've died if Orochimaru hadn't found me and brought me here." _Though sometimes I wonder if this really was the more merciful option_, he could tell she added silently.

He stared at her with wide eyes. His mouth opened thrice before a sound came. " I… I'm so sorry, I really am, but… But… I don't understand…" _Why are you telling me all this?_

Sasuke's flaming look silenced him in the middle of that thought. " Don't you understand? Ever since coming here you've been talking about protecting your village, of becoming a leader one day. And I…" Those eyes flamed while turning away. " The elders would have me killed if I'd show up – that is, if I wouldn't get my hands on them first. To me that village is much more of a hell than Orochimaru's motel could ever be."

His eyes flashed, refusing to give up. " I'm not leaving you here – we'll find a way to make Konoha accept you! I…!"

" Naruto, _no_." Something about Sasuke's tone struck him completely speechless. The girl's black eyes were full of feelings and thoughts that weren't in the girl's control. " What does it take to make you understand? This is why I've been pushing you away, idiot, why I've been trying to make you keep some distance. There'll be a war, and we're going to be enemies." The voice sounded like a cool breeze. " When I'm done with Itachi, I'll be coming after the elders of Konoha, do you get it? I may destroy everything you've ever held dear in the process, and I won't let _anything_ cloud my mind when that day dawns." She turned around, started to leave. " That's why I showed you this place. I suggest you start preparing yourself for that encounter."

He wished he would've managed to say something – _anything_, damn it. But before he could more than open his mouth Sasuke was already long gone. He'd been left alone with the bitter remnants of past.

Jiraiya's voice seemed to come through a haze of some sort when he finally heard it a couple of minutes later. " I wish you hadn't been forced to find out – at least this way."

He choked out a breath, feeling like a confused little child. It wasn't until almost ten minutes later he spoke. " I… I don't want to give up", he murmured softly.

" I know." Jiraiya's eyes were surprisingly filled with emotion when the man looked at him. " Are you sure you want to do this?"

He nodded, surprised by how fast the gesture came. " Definitely."

The man sighed heavily. " Be careful then, kid."

He rolled his eyes while turning around and starting to walk away. " I'll be back in a while, okay? Don't even try to stay up waiting, old pervert."

-

The man sighed heavily while watching the boy go.

_That kid is growing up too damn fast._

A couple of seconds after Naruto had disappeared he came to wonder if the boy had noticed that it was about to rain.

* * *

Around at the same Temari, Shikamaru and Gaara made their way into the strictly forbidden basement floor of the motel.

In some other situation Temari might've chuckled at how stiff the brunette leading them was. Now, however, such nervousness only made her suspicious. " You better know where you're taking us."

" I do." Shikamaru's voice was quiet, barely audible. " I've visited him enough times to know. I just wish I would've known it was your names he was trying to mutter earlier."

She frowned, feeling a heavy bulge of worry, but didn't say a thing. She could sense how Gaara tensed up beside her.

After about five more steps they stopped to an extremely heavy, firmly locked metallic door. Shikamaru cast a look of warning towards them. " He… isn't exactly in the state in which you remember him, okay? He may not even be awake or coherent – I'm not sure what Orochimaru's done to him during my absence. So don't be alarmed."

She grit her teeth, her hand twitching. " Just open that door so we can see our brother."

She was almost sure Shikamaru let out a sigh while nodding and doing as ordered.

Both Gaara and she coughed sharply when the indescribable, horrendous stench hit them hard across the face. Once her head cleared out a little her eyes widened and she brought one hand to her mouth when the sight registered. " Oh… fuck…"

The tiny cell was almost completely dark, but she could nonetheless make out a figure lay on the floor. Kankuro's whole body was filled with infected wounds, cuts and blisters. Only the figure's clothes revealed that the rotten piece of meat before her was indeed her brother. Based on the ragged, wheezing sound that could hardly be called breathing and the almost still chest the boy was barely breathing. Her brother was far from conscious.

Her eyes flamed, but before she could move Gaara had already pinned Shikamaru against a nearby wall. " What the hell's been done to him?" the redhead snarled in a low, dangerous voice.

" I don't know." Shikamaru's hiss sounded nothing but sincere, dark eyes carried no fear. " I have no idea what Orochimaru's done to him, okay? I've never seen anything like this before. But you have to get him the hell out of here before his condition becomes any worse."

Temari gave Gaara a glance that made the boy let go of Shikamaru, then focused on the brunette. " How do we do that?"

" There's this friend of mine – Kiba. He lives in a forest nearby the village's borderline. Give him my name and your business, and he'll let you in. Don't let his appearance get to you." The boy held a tiny pause, most likely to gather himself. " I'll be able to hide your disappearance for about a day, maybe even two if I'm lucky. I'll try to make it to Kiba's before then."

Temari frowned, not liking this plan too much. She knew Shikamaru's chances of getting out were next to nothing. Could she really…?

" Stop worrying about me and go – I'm not as helpless as you seem to think." Shikamaru's eyes had never carried what they did then. " Get your brother out of here before it's too late."

She nodded, still feeling far more reluctant than she would've expected. She barely registered that as she turned around their hands brushed together, almost held on.

As she left with her brothers, it took her all not to turn her head and look at the brunette, at least once more.

-

As soon as the siblings were out of sight, Shikamaru emitted a shuddering sigh.

_This is going to be troublesome._

-

Of course Temari and Shikamaru didn't know that Gaara also had a plan of his very own while he rushed on, supporting Kankuro's weight with Temari. His eyes flashed with desire to look towards where he'd left Haku.

If it meant that he was a pathetic idiot, he didn't care – all he knew was that the burning inside him wouldn't settle until he'd get what he was supposed to done.

Once Kankuro and Temari would be safe, he'd return to this hellhole and save Haku, whatever it'd take. Because he couldn't let the raven stay and die here.

* * *

Sasuke just managed to cover a bruise on her left cheek when there was a surprisingly quiet, almost hesitant knock on the door of her room.

She frowned.

This definitely wasn't Orochimaru or Kabuto.

She had to blink twice when she met Naruto's face, marked by the amount of time he'd probably spent outside in a icy rain. " What…?" The rest died out.

Naruto's slightly bluish lips trembled as he spoke, shivering from cold. " I… I waited for you. By the lotus flowers."

She sighed heavily. " You damn dobe…" Although she knew it'd probably be a huge mistake, she moved and allowed him to enter. " Get in here before you'll freeze to death, will you?"

-

The next half an hour passed in silence, and her mind was filled with such a haze that she barely realized what was happening until she found herself bandaging a training wound on Naruto, who only had a towel around him. " I'm sure Jiraiya's told you to be more careful than this", she stated somewhat dryly.

Naruto scoffed. " Well, it wasn't exactly easy to concentrate today."

She discovered that her frown from before still remained when she lifted her gaze to meet his. " Why were you waiting for me, anyway? I thought we were through."

Blue fire flashed in the blonde's eyes. " You should already know that I don't give up that easily."

At that moment something that was beyond them took over.

Sasuke's reason disappeared the second Naruto's lips moved to her neck, and his arms wrapped around her tightly, possessively.

' I'm not going to let go', the embrace told her. Usually such a touch would've startled her away, but now…

She felt Naruto shiver when her lips joined their dance, feeling so hot she was surprised they didn't burn him. That, apparently, was the encouragement he'd been waiting for.

She gasped faintly despite herself when her clothes were removed before she could barely think. She felt some smouldering behind her eyes when looking at the boy. " Something tells me you've done this before."

The blonde grinned somewhat cheekily. " Maybe I've just got inspiration."

She snorted hoarsely, pressing herself just a little bit closer to him without even noticing it. She found herself sighing against the boy's lips when he suddenly took her into his arms, apparently deciding to take things a step further.

The bed sighed and bowed faintly under their weight as Naruto laid her to the mattress, then placed himself above her – slowly and carefully, obviously not wanting to bring her any harm.

His blue eyes flashed in a way she couldn't recall seeing before when their gazes met. " Are you sure?"

She nodded, squeezing his shoulder so hard that for a fleeting moment she wondered if she hurt him. " I am."

No further invitation was needed.

As fire she'd never felt before filled her whole being, Sasuke decided that she didn't care about what she'd been supposed to do, about what Orochimaru would do to her, them both, once he'd find out about this.

This felt far too good.

In a matter of moments they'd lost themselves completely into each other.

It wasn't until a couple of hours later, as she lay in the bed listening to Naruto's deep, even breathing and watching the small smile on his lips, she realized that she'd just taken things much too far, that she'd sucked him way too deep down.

Naruto moaned quietly but didn't wake up when she crawled out of the bed, her eyes burning with determination.

* * *

That evening Neji was almost sure he was dreaming when he opened the door of his room after a knock, and found TenTen.

At first he blinked at least five times – trying to convince himself that this was reality – then moved out of the way to let the girl in, embarrassed by how he trembled. " What… are you doing here?" Of course he wanted her there, but the whole situation was so surreal…

He could see her swallow as she looked at anything else but him. " It's… the rehearsal – your father demanded me to be here, and…" After taking a deep breath she looked at him straight to eyes. " I needed to make sure I could do this."

He could tell his eyes flashed while he grabbed her hand with quite a force. " I don't want you to do this."

The girl emitted what sounded like a groan, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. " Neji, please, stop making this harder. We both know what's the right thing to do."

A part of him tried to message that she was right, but he failed to listen to it.

He wrapped his arms as tightly around her as he dared to, fought furiously against the urge to bury his face into her shoulder. (Had he focused harder, he might've felt the baby – _their_ baby – kicking between them.)

_I don't want to do this, don't you understand?_, he would've wanted to scream while his hold tightened still. _This…_ This _is all I want._

He shivered a little with surprise when feeling a light, short kiss on his lips all of a sudden. Looking towards TenTen, he felt a sharp twinge inside when seeing all the unshed tears in her eyes. " Tomorrow you'll get married. And I'll be there playing for you." She kissed him again – with more force this time, but so briefly that he couldn't meet the gesture. " Thank you."

Before he could do as much as blink she'd already turned around and walked out of the room.

For the next five minutes he stood completely still, frozen, until his brain managed to tick into motion. Giving a loud gasp he sprinted into the hallway – only to find that instead of TenTen, who'd disappeared from sight, Ino was approaching his room.

Ino's eyes flashed with something that was between hurt and sadness. It took a long time before she spoke. " The last rehearsal starts in ten minutes", she stated in a voice he didn't recognize. " Your father expects you to be there. It'd be nice if you showed up." So saying she turned around and walked away without looking back.

Once more he was frozen for what felt close to that mentioned ten minutes. In the end, very slowly, he started to move towards the same direction, knowing that he didn't have any other choice.

It took all his acting skills to keep a scream and tears from coming, and with just one glance he could tell TenTen felt the same.

* * *

Much later that night Jiraiya's eyes flew open when his sharp ears caught the smallest of sounds, coming from much closer than he would've liked. His hand flew to a weapon he always held hidden underneath his pillow when he knew something with utmost certainty.

This presence did not belong to Naruto or Kakashi.

Faster than almost anyone of his age would've been capable of he rose into a sitting position, the weapon he'd taken raised and ready to be used. It, however, stopped and he frowned with confusion when finding Sasuke sitting in a chair nearby his bed, wearing only a dressing gown. " What are you doing here?" His eyes then narrowed. " What the hell did you do to Naruto?"

Sasuke's expression didn't change under his mistrust. " He's safe – I left him sleeping into my room." The girl's eyes then darkened. " I'm sorry I helped myself in, but this is important."

His eyebrows remained furrowed, and although he lowered the weapon he'd been holding his hand was stiff, prepared. " What are you talking about?"

" I know exactly what Orochimaru has in mind, and I'm sure that you've heard about that stupid fairytale of a Chosen Child." Sasuke's voice was rigid, filled with revulsion. " You need to get Naruto out of here as fast as possible."

His frown lessened when he sensed the sincerity radiating from the girl. Was she really doing this – risking her life – for Naruto? " How do I do that? This place is a fortress."  
Sasuke's eyes flashed. " I'll help you. And I know you've got at least one person outside you've been talking to – ask him for help as well." The girl got up, didn't make a sound while walking to the room's door.

" Naruto won't leave willingly, you know that", he all but sighed just before she was out. " He won't leave you behind." At the moment he couldn't blame his student.

Sasuke didn't turn towards him. " Be prepared at midnight tomorrow. I'll take care of the rest." With that she was gone.

* * *

At around the same time Kabuto entered one of Orochimaru's best-hidden chambers. A frown appeared when he spotted the man up and about, working on a potion of some sort with his back to him. " Orochimaru-sama, you should be resting."

Orochimaru didn't even turn towards him. It took a moment before the older man spoke. " She… was with _him_, wasn't she?"

It didn't take him long to understand. He nodded, disregarding the fact that the man couldn't see it. " That's right."

He could've sworn he heard something breaking although the man's hand barely moved. " Well, then." It was a nearly furious hiss. " Get everything ready. We'll be getting on with the plan tomorrow – we've been stalling long enough."

" Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

Utter silence fell as he left the room.

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: Do I sense a turning point approaching? Gosh, so many people leaving towards the unknown, and the wedding pretty much no one wants approaching… And what the heck was that opening scene about?! (gulps with wide eyes)

As for these inexcusable cliffies… (winces) I'm afraid there's only one way to get rid of them; you'll just have to join in the next time. Until then… **Please** do review! Heh, it's the only way to let me get what I deserve for the cliffies. (laughs somewhat nervously, then screams and runs when weapons fly)

Bye for now!

Be good!


	7. Letting Go And Breaking Free

A/N: Gah! I didn't realize until to day how long it'd been from my last update. I'm so sorry! (winces) But at least now I'm finally back with a new chappy. (grins)

For starters, of course, thank you from the bottom of my heart for those lovely reviews! (HUUUUGS) They DO mean a lot, dattebayo. (nods as a confirmation)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting, let's roll! I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy, un.

WARNING: Due to fatigue, my proofreading probably SUCKS. (winces) Gomen!

(Random moment: From where can you tell you shouldn't write fanfiction just before going to bed? I got the answer last night – I had a dream of Naruto and Sasuke, a good one actually. Naruto finally found Sasuke, who seemed pretty badly hurt. They were BOTH happy, smiling, O_o, and the teme even allowed Naruto to touch his face.) (sighs happily) (Heh, if only a scene like that was possible in the manga…) (Yup, this calls for a therapy session.)

* * *

In a tiny hut that'd always been isolated from the world a crash coming from a tea mug falling broke a silence that'd lasted for a long time.

" Minato-sensei?" The voice was filled with worry. " Are you okay?"

He frowned, feeling shivers. " I… don't know." Then, seeing his apprentice's clear worry, he managed to produce a grin while starting to gather the shards. " I was just being clumsy, I guess. Now, I think you've been stalling long enough – it's time to go back to ninja rules."

A loud groan was his response.

No matter how hard he tried to act normally, the restlessness inside him didn't disappear.

* * *

CHAPTER 7: Letting Go And Breaking Free

* * *

Naruto blinked when opening his eyes, confusion filling his still groggy mind.

It took a moment, but eventually mild, surprisingly pleasurable pain reminded him of what had happened. A slight hue appeared to his cheeks. " Sasuke…"

His hand instinctively reached to his side – and a frown appeared when he felt no warmth. Apparently the girl had been missing for quite a while already. A flush of disappointment that nearly overwhelmed him with its power flowed through his veins while he swallowed quite laboriously.

_Damn it…_

Just then he shivered a little when hearing the faint sound of a door opening. Steps he somehow recognized as Sasuke's advanced a little until she paused. " I… didn't mean to wake you."

He frowned and lifted himself to a sitting position, looking towards the girl although he couldn't see her from the dark. " Where were you? I thought…" He swallowed down the rest, not wanting to sound even more pathetic than he did already.

Sasuke was silent for quite a while before finally speaking in a voice he barely recognized. " You should leave, before Orochimaru notices you're here. We've already been fooling around long enough."

His frown from before deepened still while he got out of the bed, walking up to the raven surprisingly silently. " What the hell is going on, Sasuke?"

Instead of responding the raven spun around, obviously about to leave. " I'm giving you one minute to get dressed and walk out before I come back."

For some reason he had a feeling that he couldn't let her leave, not anymore. Because if he would, he somehow doubted she'd ever come back.

Before he could even think his hand had grabbed hers, so tightly that he feared he brought harm. He opened his mouth, but couldn't bring himself to speak just yet.

Heavy silence lingered while they stood there, both breathing heavily and trembling, neither knowing where anything was going anymore.

-

Sasuke's head spun with emotions she hadn't expected, emotions she definitely wasn't comfortable with. She balled the one fist Naruto hadn't gasped, furious with herself.

Letting go… would be a thousand times harder than she'd ever expected, she knew now. But she'd do it – for Naruto's sake.

She'd never believed in love, anyway, she reminded herself. Why should she get sentimental all of a sudden? Why should she…?

All those thoughts – voices of reason, she told herself – flew away when she felt a hot kiss on her neck, then another. " Please, Sasuke", he murmured in a tiny, almost teary voice, whispering to her ear so she couldn't see his face. His hold on her hand became tight, desperate. " Don't you dare walk away again."

Without her having any control over it, she'd already turned around and wrapped her arms around Naruto, foolishly allowed him to touch every single place of her all at once. And suddenly, she couldn't deny wishing from the bottom of her heart that it could've been like this forever.

She was fortunate neither of them noticed the one tear that slid to her cheek while the heat between them rose, once more sending them into a world of their own.

* * *

Morning had already arrived when Temari found herself rather anxious while waiting for Kiba's news on Kankuro's condition. She'd always despised waiting, and it was even harder now that Gaara had gone outside to catch some air, leaving her alone.

Giving a deep sigh to the glass she was leaning against she closed her eyes, only to find a flash of Shikamaru's face appearing. She clutched the wood of a chair handle in her grip even more tightly, nearly hard enough to break it.

Why was it so damn hard for her to chase her thoughts away from him? Yes, he'd saved her brother – all three of them, actually – but surely…

" Okay, then." Despite herself she jumped a bit when hearing Kiba's voice. Although she'd seen him several times she was still mildly surprised by his appearance – only one eye, long grown extremely dishevelled hair, one leg replaced by a prosthetic one that made him limp, several fingers missing, a scar cutting through his face from right to left… She finally managed to focus on his voice. " I've done what I could – the rest is up to your brother." The boy's speech sounded bizarre – she wondered if his tongue had been damaged. " You shouldn't worry too much, though. He seems strong – I'm pretty sure he'll kick himself through this. He's resting."

She nodded, then sucked down all her pride to get certain words out. " Thank you." Once her thoughts started to get all tangled up she shoved them elsewhere with force, only to find that the direction taken wasn't any better than the former. She frowned a bit, folding her arms. " That friend of yours, Shikamaru…" For some reason she couldn't get the rest out.

Apparently catching on, Kiba waved a hand. " Meh, don't worry about that grouch. He's made it through thick and thin – he'll be just fine." A somewhat naughty grin rose to the boy's face. " It looks like he still knows how to wrap a girl around his little finger."

She arched an eyebrow, her expression turning hazardous. " What was that supposed to mean?"

" Oh, yeah!" She couldn't tell if Kiba had honestly forgotten or if he was trying to switch topic. He pulled out a folded paper. " Gaara left this – he told me to give it to you once I'd taken care of Kankuro."

Feeling somewhat confused she took the paper and opened it. The words she found brought her chills.

_I'm sorry about this. I hope you'll understand._

She gave a hiss, her eyes narrowing. " That damn moron…"

She could sense Kiba's frown although she didn't look at him. " What's wrong?"

She looked towards the window to find storm clouds gathering to the slowly darkening sky. " We'll see…"

Somehow she had a strong feeling that the soon erupting storm wasn't the only turmoil she should've prepared herself for…

* * *

At around the same time in the motel, Sasuke's eyes were even darker than usually while she walked into the basement floor, easily finding her way to Orochimaru's room with a mug-full of potion held firmly in her hand.

Her expression was that of a person who'd just made up their minds about something they'd been contemplating for a very long time.

" You called me." Her voice was formal and even – not even the slightest shudder gave her away.

Orochimaru nodded. The flash in his eyes gave her a sensation of alarm. " It's time to complete the task, Sasuke – tonight, you'll bring me the Chosen Child."

She felt sick to her stomach. So the time had arrived even sooner than she'd expected… " Are you sure he's the one?"

Orochimaru's eyes flashed. " I've seen the signs, Sasuke. I've seen _him_. I've been wrong enough times to know – do not doubt me."

It was agonizingly hard for her to keep herself from trembling, but she managed anyhow. She didn't know that dance of light dyed her eyes red while she looked directly towards the man with no fear. " Drink this, then." She handed the mug to him and he accepted it eagerly. " If… tonight really is the night, you need to have your full strength to endure the procedure."

" Yes." Orochimaru's eyes were even more dangerous than usually when he glanced towards her while taking a taste of the drink. " But bear in mind, Sasuke… I won't tolerate failures. You know the punishment if you let him get away – it's the same even for you."

She grit her teeth. " Yes, I know." She then got up suavely, no abnormal tension in her moves. " Now drink. I'll bring him to you soon."

She left the room without looking back, closing the door soundlessly behind her.

Once outside, she was mildly surprised to run into TenTen. The girl frowned when seeing the look on her face. " Sasuke? What's going on?"

She sighed a little, only then becoming aware of the tension in her muscles. " The time arrived", was the only explanation she managed to give.

TenTen's eyes widened a fraction for a moment. " What… are you going to do?"

She took a deep breath. " Whatever I have to, I guess."

Her friend's brown eyes flashed with something she couldn't identify. " Just… Be careful, will you?"

She nodded sharply, just then noticing the instrument the other was carrying. She found it hard not to wince. _The wedding…_ She looked back at the brunette once more, finding a lot of tightly locked back emotions from brown eyes. " You can do this, TenTen."

The girl nodded, seeming to rearrange her posture. " I know." They exchanged looks that said everything necessary. " Good luck."

" You too."

With that they took their own paths without looking back, both preparing themselves for the excruciating tasks to come…

-

Pleased as he was to see her, Naruto frowned at the look on Sasuke's face when he opened the door of Jiraiya and his room to find the girl. " What's wrong?"

After brushing his hand atypically softly – as though it'd been the answer to everything – she fixed her flaming eyes to Jiraiya, who'd appeared to stand behind him. " It's time", she announced.

He was fairly sure he sensed a shudder coming from his teacher. " Already?" The man then looked at him with strange eyes. " Naruto, you better start packing, right now."

He frowned, utterly lost, and didn't move. " Am I the only one around here who doesn't have a clue of what the hell is going on?"

Sasuke seemed to grit her teeth. " I'm trying to save your life, idiot, that's what's going on." The girl then looked towards Jiraiya. " Has your contact been informed?"

Jiraiya nodded. " He's waiting for us in the forest – I told him we'll be in a haste." The man then frowned. " What about Orochimaru?"

Onyx eyes flashed. " My potion wasn't strong enough to kill him, but he'll be down for some hours. So let's stop wasting time and go, alright?"

-

If they'd paid just a little bit more attention to their surroundings while going, they might've noticed the danger looming.

Kabuto's eyes flashed while he watched them go.

Several people had already escaped from the motel that night, he'd noticed.

He readjusted his eyeglasses.

It was time to take drastic measures to keep a disaster from happening…

* * *

When TenTen arrived to the Hyuuga estate, she faced exactly what she'd feared. Neji – who'd been walking down the stairs – immediately spotted her, and pale eyes filled with a storm she wasn't used to seeing. " Ten…"

She couldn't tell what her expression was like when she finally managed to gather breath after several seconds, enough so to whisper. " Good luck." For some reason those shallow words were all she managed to produce, the only form of saying goodbye she could find.

The look on Neji face changed, became such that broke her heart to pieces, but before she could speak another word Hiashi appeared. The man's eyes were strange for a moment when he looked at them both, almost like guessing. " What are you still doing here? It's time."

Although it took her all not to turn around and run – especially with the baby kicking in her stomach, as though knowing exactly what was to happen – TenTen created a skilful smile while she stepped into a enormous, fancily decorated hall where what seemed like hundreds of people were sitting.

There was no room for tears that day, despite all her wants.

And she watched and played the best as she could while observing the scene – charade – playing out before her.

Watched how Neji and Ino exchanged vows of eternity together with the boy's eyes constantly straying her way, while the two swore to be faithful and truthful, to never part. She kept looking, although it became hard to breathe at some point.

Watched how everyone cheered at the newly wedded couple, witnessed how a tight, rather pathetic attempt of a smile crept to Neji's face, only to disappear as soon as he looked at her.

Watched how the couple started their first dance as a married couple, her eyes stinging almost more than she could take.

When the couple – or rather Ino – eventually announced that they were heading towards spending their first night as a husband and wife, then left, she kept sitting, completely motionless and hollow, wondering if she'd ever be able to move again.

" That was very good." She woke up from her thoughts to Hiashi's voice, to realize that everyone else had left, most likely long ago. The man's eyes seemed rather dangerous. " You're a splendid actor – but then again, I suppose you must be to have my nephew fooled."

She narrowed her eyes, feeling even sicker than she had so far, and finding it nearly impossible to hold back the storm wanting to erupt. " Are we through?"

Hiashi nodded, as though nothing in particular had happened. " Orochimaru will receive my payment tomorrow."

Not bothering to do or say anything else she finally managed to jump up from her seat and walk away, much too hastily for it to be considered normal. She ignored the weird looks people gave her while she passed them by.

When she finally made it out of the building and leaned herself heavily against a wall, emitting a cry of anguish and bringing a hand to her steadily growing bump, she didn't know that a pair of perplexed pale eyes watched her.

Already then, she had a feeling that it was the last time she ever visited this building, or saw Neji. She had no idea how right she was…

* * *

Gaara had always been a remarkably fast runner. Nonetheless it surprised him how rapidly he managed to make his way to the shady motel, especially considering that he was still recovering.

But then again, he had a lot at stake. There was no room for stalling.

As soon as the motel was almost right before him he paused for a moment, breaking into wheezing, hungry pants that carried relief.

He was finally there. It was time to do what he should've long ago.

His eyes flashing, he took one more step forth – only to find himself becoming shoved backwards and a deafening bang striking him deaf for several moments.

Coughing and feeling incredibly dizzy he remained on the street for a while, until his head finally caught on. He managed to struggle himself to a sitting position with a lot of difficulty – only to find himself gasping uncharacteristically at the sight he met.

The motel… It'd exploded to pieces. There was absolutely nothing left of it – or the people who'd been inside.

At that moment, despite all his pride, he couldn't keep a feral scream from coming. " HAKU!"

Only wind and crackling flames responded him.

* * *

Sasuke had already lost track on how long they'd been running, not daring to speak out a word, when they finally paused at the edge of a forest. Once there they finally dared to slow down to a walking pace.

So deep in though she was, that the unfamiliar male voice startled her. " You're late."

She glanced to side, finding a man with silvery hair and black eyes who'd covered half of his face with a mask.

Naruto, apparently, seemed to know this stranger. The blonde grinned brightly. " Kakashi! I thought you'd gotten your ass kicked or something." Tremendous relief could be heard in that voice. The boy then folded his arms. " But who are you to nag about being late? I bet you only just arrived."

The man – Kakashi – flashed a rather dry look towards Jiraiya. " He's spent too much time with you – he's gotten your tongue."

Amusing as this all was, Sasuke found herself gritting her teeth. " We don't have time for this."

Jiraiya sighed soundlessly, beginning to step forth. " I guess you're right. Let's go, brat."

Naruto followed at first, then stopped and frowned, blue eyes filled with something close to terror and confusion, when he realized that she wasn't moving. " Sasuke? What are you doing?"

Gosh, how much it took of her to keep everything bubbling inside her from showing! " I've already told you many times, Naruto." Her voice didn't sound right. " This is as far as I go."

Naruto's eyes immediately flashed blue fire, and the boy's fists balled. " No! We're not having this conversation again." The blonde took a step closer. " Hell no, I'm _not_ leaving you here! You're coming with me – you're coming home."

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes for a moment. This would be even harder than she'd expected… Facing the boy's eyes just then was one of the most painful things she'd ever done. " You need to, Naruto. Don't be a fool."

" I love you." Those words surprised them both, Naruto perhaps even more so although he was the one who spoke them. " Doesn't that mean a thing to you? I fucking you love you!" Blue eyes narrowed, filled with even more determination than usually. " So… So I'm not leaving without you, got it? You better accept that, teme."

She gave a hiss that sounded quite a bit like a hiss. _Damn it…_ She'd hoped things wouldn't come to this. " Fine." She leaned closer, and he followed the gesture eagerly. " I'll come, if that's what it takes."

Her throat – whole body, in fact – burned when she placed her lips to Naruto's, sealing him into a warm, bittersweet kiss. Judging by the boy's moan and attempts to hold her closer he bought the façade of security she was offering. That was when her fingers moved. She could only feel the blonde gasp into her mouth – with surprise and hurt – until he fell limply. She caught him surprisingly easily, finding herself wishing she could've just held him a little bit longer…

_I'm sorry_, was something her pride wouldn't allow her to speak out loud.

Jiraiya immediately approached with a stormy expression. " What the hell did you do to him?"

She swallowed, but didn't manage to erase all of the bulge blocking her throat. She refused to meet Naruto's unconscious face, instead stared right through his rising and falling chest with vacant eyes. " He'll wake up in a matter of hours – I just bought you enough time to get away from here."

The man nodded slowly – apparently buying her words in the end – then walked all the way to them and pried Naruto's still form gently from her hold. Once the blonde was in the man's safe arms, he looked at her thoughtfully. " Are you sure about this?"

She gave the man a heated look that spoke far more clearly than any words, then refocused on the boy even though it was almost unbearably painful.

Although she wouldn't let anything be seen from her face Sasuke felt like suffocating as she stepped to the boy and placed her lips rather gently to Naruto's soft ones, granting him a stunningly gentle, short kiss – the only gift of goodbye she could give.

While breaking away after a second she stalled so that no one noticed, allowed her lips to move barely traceably. " Thank you." With that she straightened her form as gracefully as she possibly could, felt her eyes burn while she looked towards Jiraiya and Kakashi. " Make sure he's safe, understood? Whatever measures required."

The men nodded, appearing speechless for a while. Just as she moved to walk away – carefully avoiding looking towards Naruto in fear of what it'd do to her – the older man spoke. " Good luck, Sasuke."

She merely nodded, then turned around sharply although it took her absolutely all and started to walk away with oddly stiff steps, working her hardest to keep her gaze fixed forth.

As though having been called rain appeared just then, escorted her as she disappeared from the forest – from Naruto's life – for what she hoped to be forever despite the stinging in her chest.

(It wasn't until late that night – when she stood outside in surroundings she'd never seen before after having endured Orochimaru's punishment – she finally let herself break down in the covers of still pouring, icy rain.)

-

Jiraiya and Kakashi observed Sasuke's distancing back for several moments until the latter finally managed to speak. " Naruto isn't going to give up on her. You know that as well as I do."

Jiraiya sighed heavily, repositioning the still unconscious boy in his arms. " I know." And he also knew that things would be much more complicated from thereon. Swallowing down another sigh he started to move. " Now let's go. We're not out of the woods yet."

As he glanced towards Naruto's face while they ran, he couldn't help wondering if the wetness on the boy's cheeks was raindrops or tears.

* * *

And so – that stormy afternoon – their paths parted. Neither knew when fate would finally lead them to each other again, if ever.

Nor did they know that a seed that'd change everything had already been planted…

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: (sniffs) Awkay, now THIS sucks. They're separated, just when things were starting to heat up! (starts bawling)

Gah, I'm once again staying on a computer far longer than I should've, so I'm going to skip away now (especially with those cliffies I just left you with…). Do leave a review – please? (gives pleading eyes, and offers some tasty reward chocolate…)

'Til nex time, everyone – 'hope ya all join in then!

Peace out!


	8. Interlude, Part One – Admittances

A/N: Hey there! Gosh, did it take time, but the new chappy's now finally done, locked and loaded. (grins)

For starters, MASSIVE thank yous for those heart swelling reviews! (HUUUGS) They're a great inspiration, ya know? (grins) And extra, colossal thank yous for my unbelievable proofreader **Serenityofthematrix** for the hard work!

Before getting on to it, I'm so sorry about the shortness of this chappy! This about two or three chapters long period marks the space between two parts of this story, so they'll be a lot shorter than the former chapters. (winces) But no worries, the length will return soon, un. (nods and grins)

Awkay, enough of rambling – let's go already! (rubs hands together) 'Hope you'll have a nice stay!

* * *

/ _It was an age old tradition in Konoha that before the birth of their child, expecting mothers would go to one of the village's elders to ask for a premonition about their child's fate. Mikoto Uchiha and Kushina Uzumaki were no exception. They never found out that they had their appointment only two hours apart._

_That day, they discovered a tale about peace, war, hatred, pain – and love, such that would conquer anything with its tremendous power._

_When they begged the old woman to tell how the story would end, she only smiled wistfully and gave them both the same answer. The woman's long ago blinded eyes gleamed. " I'm afraid even I don't have all the answers, child. All I know is that his path branches to two directions, of which only one promises hope. Only future will tell which roads he chooses when the time comes."_

_It was sad, really, that the mothers never got to live long enough to see how the story ended…_ /

* * *

CHAPTER 8: Interlude, Part One – Admittances

* * *

/ **Three Weeks Later.** / (1)

* * *

When he'd first left Konoha, Naruto had thought that it'd feel incredibly good to come back – to see all his friends again, to return to his usual life. That's why it was almost ironic that he stopped a step away from the village's gates, unable to move forth.

Jiraiya and Kakashi gave him questioning looks. " What's wrong?" Kakashi inquired in the end.

He swallowed thickly, not sure how he should explain this. " I… don't know." That was a flat out lie, really. If he dared to be honest he knew exactly what was halting his steps, for the image of a familiar face in the back of his head was much too clear to be ignored. He'd left his heart behind – how was he supposed to be comfortable with returning? " I just…"

" Hey Naruto!" The female voice he recognized very well managed to startle him. Formerly when meeting Sakura's face he'd felt warm and fuzzy inside. But now, even when she touched him… " Gosh, I can't believe you're finally back! Where have you been?"

It took his all to create the tiniest of grins. " You won't believe the stories I have to tell you, Sakura-chan!"

He didn't see the dark look Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged, already knowing what he'd figure out weeks later.

* * *

Sasuke's eyes were even darker than usual while she stood before the window of the building Orochimaru had chosen as their newest base, sipping herbal tea that tasted like poison to her.

/ _" I love you. Doesn't that mean a thing to you? I fucking you love you!"_ /

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, almost flowing over.

_Damn it…_

" Sasuke." She shivered at TenTen's voice that surprised her. The girl had, apparently, approached her from her blind side – the eye Orochimaru had blinded after finding out about Naruto's departure not managing to catch any movement. She turned her head so that her seeing eye caught her friend, who's face held something close to sympathy. " Orochimaru was asking for you."

She nodded rather stiffly. " I'll be there in a while", she murmured, and nearly winced when a flash of Naruto's face appeared once more when the rising sun hit her healthy eye.

Understanding flashed by TenTen's face while the girl nodded and brushed her already very swollen bump, in which Neji's child grew a little more each day. ' I know exactly how you feel', the brunette's gaze said.

She nodded as well with something close to gratitude.

They remained in a silence, both drowning themselves into sweet what ifs.

* * *

/ **One Month And A Week Later.** /

* * *

The weeks had scrolled by surprisingly fast in the makeshift safe house Temari and her brothers still occupied.

To Temari's relief – which she refused to show – Kankuro seemed to be recovering rather nicely. He still didn't speak or react the way he should've, but he'd woken up after sleeping for the first five days and his injuries were healing in a speed that baffled Kiba, who was bravely trying to act as a medic although he most likely had little to no experience.

Everything, Temari mused, might've been perfect if she'd managed to forget about Shikamaru for even one bloody second. The brunette still hadn't arrived, and little by little she found herself losing the little hope she'd had, especially when remembering Gaara's solemn news on the motel fate.

She blamed herself, which was something she would've never expected to find herself doing, and wished dearly that there would've been something…

She shook her head, once more chasing those thoughts away forcefully. She wouldn't help anyone with driving herself insane.

" So you ended the training session already?" Kiba's voice nearly startled her.

She nodded, feeling a twinge she would've rather not admitted when finding the boy looking through a window. He was Shikamaru's best friend – it was quite clear what he was waiting for. " Kankuro was getting exhausted, although he'd never admit it. I sent him to get some rest with threatening to tie him to a bed if he'd disobey."

Kiba grinned toothily at that. " Effective." The boy then came to think of something. " Gaara left for another searching round – he said he'd be back for dinner."

She sighed inwardly and rolled her eyes, feeling a wave of sadness. So her brother still hadn't given up – she should've known to expect as much.

Without really thinking she walked up to the window, glancing towards the sky. Her teal colored eyes hardened a little. " It's going to rain." _Again._

" Hmmh", Kiba commented, taking a sip of something that smelled horrible even to where she was standing. " But spring's already right around the corner – I bet the rain won't last long."  
Although she didn't look towards him or show any signs of emotions she was all but baffled. How the heck did anyone manage to remain that positive in this miserable place, especially with the past Kiba had without a doubt had?

She was just about to speak when her eyes caught something that nearly made them widen.

Kiba almost dropped his mug when discovering the same thing. " Holy hell…!"

She was already running, with no control over herself.

Just as she'd made it out of the house Shikamaru – whom she'd seen approaching, battered, bloody, dirty and bruised, yet _alive_ – stumbled, starting to fall towards the ground. She managed to catch him right on time to keep him from hurting himself even further.

She simply held him against her for the longest time, not sure if she wanted to yell at him, punch him or do something else entirely. " You moron…", she managed in the end.

Shikamaru had something that looked like a smirk on his face when he looked up at her dazedly, one eye almost swollen closed. " 'Sorry I'm late", he managed before falling unconscious.

* * *

In the meantime Gaara walked through the depressingly gray, nearly abandoned city, his eyes moving in a desperate search for a familiar face.

Little by little – walking through a day of fruitless search after another – he started to lose the traces of hope he'd once had. A constantly growing part of him tried to tell him that he was only torturing himself with these ridiculous rounds, and with each day he found it harder to gather the strength to leave Kiba's house.

He fought back a sigh.

_Maybe I should just…_

Just then he saw something that made his heart jump erratically. Raven hair, the familiar rhythm of walking…

Without thinking he moved, his heart pounding nearby his throat, and finally rested his hand rather roughly to a shoulder, his mind whispering soundless prayers.

The person he'd approached stiffened, then turned around so slowly that he feared he wouldn't be able to take it. His heart sunk and shrunk when he met a pair of rather confused amber eyes. " Do I know you?" a far too high-pitched female voice inquired tentatively.

He swallowed, but the bitter taste of disappointment wouldn't disappear. " I'm sorry", he muttered, pulling his hand away as though the stranger's skin had burned it. " I though you were someone else."

-

Had he looked to his right, he would've seen how a curtain moved in a tiny house nearby as someone left the window.

* * *

The weeks scrolled by much too slowly for Naruto.

He tried to go back to his normal life, that much could be said to his defence – grit his teeth and attempted to focus on training, attempted to act like there'd been absolutely nothing missing. Like nothing had changed.

But he'd never been much of a liar, and he was particularly bad at lying to himself. And that extremely early morning he finally found the burden overflowing.

He didn't know how long he'd stood by his mother's grave – or how long he would've remained, talking nonsense to thin air – until steps startled him. " So here you are." There was a rather sad expression on Jiraiya's face. " I would've never thought I'd see you awake this early willingly."

He tried to grin, but failed miserably. " I just… I couldn't sleep." He swallowed, looking away from his teacher. " I kept having dreams of…" He trailed off.

Jiraiya, however, was no fool. " Of Sasuke, right?"

His eyes stung while meeting his teacher's. " I… I've gotta see her." He didn't manage to go on until after taking a deep breath. " I just… I don't feel right around here anymore." One tear rolled, quite soon followed by several more once the path was opened. " I… I don't…." At that admittance the damns that'd held him together for two long months broke beyond repair.

Jiraiya was subtle enough not to say or do anything but place a comforting hand to his shoulder while he finally allowed himself to break down.

* * *

At first Sasuke had been able to shrug off the symptoms as something caused by stress, maybe even heartbreak although she wouldn't have wanted to admit feeling such. But when the signs grew louder and louder, it became apparent to her that something was badly out of place.

Dizziness… Certain scents sending her stomach making back flips… Constant mornings and evenings of nausea… Swaying moods…

As she kneeled on the bathroom floor that early morning, throwing up absolutely everything there was in her and more, she finally admitted facts to herself.

She'd already been down that road once. Of course her heart knew the signs.

She shivered like a leaf when bringing a hand to her stomach.

TenTen – who'd been holding her hair – brought a hand to her shoulder. " Sasuke? What's going on?"

In some other situation and state of mind she might've scolded her friend for not recognizing the symptoms the brunette should've been very much familiar with. Her heart thumping a little too fast, she turned to meet TenTen's eyes, fighting her hardest not to show fear. " I'm… I think I'm pregnant."

* * *

In the downstairs area of the building, Orochimaru's eyes shifted and flashed when the door of his private room opened, revealing Kabuto. " I wasn't expecting you."

The teen's eyes darkened somewhat dangerously for just a moment. " I know." The boy handed him a mug. " I… came to bring your medication."

He took a sip, wincing a little at the taste. It was rather obvious that the boy had forgotten at least one ingredient.

" Orochimaru-sama, I don't understand." Ah, so Kabuto wasn't smart enough to leave him alone just yet. The black eyes looking at him with a frown carried fear he considered pathetic. " We were exposed. Konoha is firmly on our tales. Aren't you worried?"

He gave what might've been a smile on someone else's face. " No." He took a sip although it tasted horrendous. " You did a very good job with destroying evidence when blowing up that motel, and I doubt Konoha would know to look for us here even if they'd know we're alive."

Kabuto didn't seem fully relaxed just yet. " What about Naruto? You still need him."

He revealed his teeth, eyes flashing. " I wouldn't worry about him." He found that he'd already grown used to the drink's tart taste during the third gulp. " After all, we've got the perfect tool to lure him here when the time comes…"

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

1) Heh, after the last chappy, un.

* * *

A/N: Oh dear… So things are getting even messier. (winces) Poor boneheads!

Okay, it's getting VERY late around here, and I should be heading towards my extremely inviting bed already, so I'll start to tune out for now. (grins) **PLEASE**, do leave a review to let me know you're out there before doing the same – pwease? (I've got cookies, ya know…?)

'Til next update, guys – I truly hope you'll stop by again then!

Be good!


	9. Interlude, Part Two – Resolve

A/N: MAN, it's been WAY too long! (winces) I'm so sorry – my heads been wrapped around much too many things lately. (sighs) BUT, at least now I've FINALLY got the new chappy completed. Yosh! (grins)

First of all, thank you so much for those reviews you've taken the time to leave! (hugs) They're all precious, ya know? So feel free to keep 'em coming, un. (snickers cheekily) And of course HUGE special thank yous for my unbelievable proofreader **Serenityofthematrix** for the awesome work!

Awkay, because you'll probably start throwing things if I don't cut the wait soon… Let's rock! (rubs hands together) I REALLY hope you'll have a good time with this one, un.

* * *

/ _During his life Minato Namikaze had felt a lot of pain. Yet nothing compared to what he experienced while he lay on the cold, nearly icy forest floor, wondering why death hadn't come and claimed him yet._

_When he heard steps he already thought the end had arrived. Instead, however, he heard something else entirely. " Kami… There's so much blood!"_

" _Is he conscious?"_

_There was a touch of a cool hand – gosh, it hurt so much. If only he'd been able to scream… " I… I think so." The slight shaking motion on his shoulder felt like someone had been stabbing him. " Hey, can you hear me? Are you alright?"_

" _Please…" It took a while before he realized that the faint, pathetic mixture of a moan and a mew came from him. He couldn't open his eyes, no matter how hard he tried. " P… lease… My son…" _Please, help my son – don't let him… Don't let him…

_His thoughts became jumbled, started to fade away._

" _Hey, don't…!"_

_There were sounds he couldn't recognize, such that may have been a trick of his imagination. Shouts, screams, sounds of metal, running…_

_He felt nothing more._ /

* * *

CHAPTER 9: Interlude, Part Two – Resolve

* * *

/ **One And A Half Months Later.** / (1)

* * *

As more and more time moved forward, Naruto found the restlessness inside him growing by each passing day of a long, seemingly endless winter.

No amount of training, spending time with his friends and trying to simply forget what obviously hadn't been meant to be managed to trick his mind from thinking about what was painfully obviously missing.

It made no difference if he was asleep or awake, Sasuke managed to find him every single second, as though a part of her had left that hellish motel with him. And in the end carrying something so heavy that was far from enough became too much for him.

" Geez, Naruto!" Funny – he hadn't even remembered Sakura's or felt her attack that'd sent him to the ground. There was a dark frown upon her face while she looked at him, obviously trying to piece things together. " You could've at least tried to dodge!"

He gave a wobbly, sheepish grin. " 'Sorry, Sakura-chan. I just… I couldn't focus." _For about the millionth time since coming back to Konoha._

Sakura sighed, and her eyes told that she'd had enough. " Naruto, you've been like a freaking zombie since coming back. What the hell happened during that mission?" Seeing his expression that changed free of his will she frowned. " Naruto?"

He'd sworn himself he wouldn't tell anyone about Sasuke, that he wouldn't stain the memories he had of her with sharing them. But at that moment, it was all just too much. And before he could properly process it he'd flooded out _everything_ – how they'd met, how the bond between them had grown in such a scarily short time, how she'd been supposed to betray him, how she'd told him about her past, how they'd spent a night together, how he'd gone and fallen in love.

He never noticed the tears he shed while sharing the tale, nor did he realize Sakura's hand had been laid to his in a weak attempt to offer consolation only one person could've given him.

-

From a distance two pairs of solemn eyes watched them.

" You can see it, too, right?" Jiraiya's voice was tight. " He isn't going to stay much longer. He's already halfway on his way."

Kakashi's eyes flashed while the man turned around and started to walk away. " I know."

He frowned when looking at the younger man's distancing back. " What are you going to do?" he inquired, almost afraid of the answer.

Kakashi never gave him one.

* * *

Naruto, of course, didn't know that Sasuke's head was filled with similar thoughts at the moment while she sat in her room, one hand brought surprisingly gently to her barely visibly swollen stomach.

She'd never been one to regret, never once had she looked over her shoulder. But that evening, in that moment of weakness…

* * *

/ _" It's called Andromeda", Naruto had once told her. " It's one of my __favorites__."_

" _And that one?"_

" _Perseus. You know, according to this old myth he saved princess Andromeda from a monster once upon a time. That's why I like seeing them up in the sky together. See? There's his sword."_

" _You know quite a bit for a dobe."_ /

* * *

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, lifting her gaze towards the starry sky she could just see through the window. Her eyes strayed to certain patterns she recognized well now. " One day…", she whispered so that even she could barely hear it while her hand rubbed her belly. " … I'll get you out of here. I won't let you be born in a place like this."

Despite herself she gasped lightly when feeling something for the first time, first gently, then filled with determination she knew painfully well.

The baby's very first kick.

She closed her eyes and swallowed thickly, finding it almost impossible to restrain emotions. " Please, don't tell me you're taking after your father." Because if the baby would – if she'd have to look into the eyes of a miniature Naruto and see what'd slipped away…

She shook her head to wake up from those forbidden thoughts, and turned her head so that her seeing eye was darted towards the room's door when there was a knock. " What?"

She felt mildly bad about her tone when instead of Kabuto, TenTen appeared into the room. The brunette frowned when looking at her face, but obviously knew better than to ask. " Orochimaru sent me to look for you." Her friend's voice was dark, repulsed. " It's… time."

She nodded, feeling so sick that she was surprised she didn't throw up, and forced herself to move.

That night she lost herself into sweet, much needed make believes. She didn't even realize she murmured a strictly banned name several times over.

* * *

For Temari the weeks passed startlingly fast with both Shikamaru and Kankuro healing remarkably quickly. With each new day the picture of home that'd been tattooed into the back of her mind became fainter and fainter, and as winter progressed she found it harder and harder to come up with reasons to return to a country that'd been torn apart by several wars and hatred. And, little as she liked to admit it, such a change had a lot to do with how much time she spent with Shikamaru.

That day, she had a look of half-faked annoyance on her face while she entered Kiba's house, all but dragged panting, utterly exhausted Shikamaru along. " You idiot", she snarled while they all but collapsed on a couch, landing uncomfortably close to each other. " You should've told me you're exhausted."

He snorted. " Yeah, and let you bitch about me being a quitter all week."

She rolled her eyes, feeling a stab of guilt she would've never confessed. " I'm not that bad."

" Yes, you are." Shikamaru's eyes were unusually warm. " And that's a part of your charm."

She arched an eyebrow, feeling something spin around violently in her chest. " My charm?"

Instead of replaying the brunette merely looked at her with mildly widened eyes, appearing speechless. Her heartbeat picked up just a little bit.

Later on she could only wonder how far the situation could've gone if Gaara hadn't appeared just then and marched past them with a stormy expression, his outfit revealing that he was about to head outside.

One of her eyebrows bounced up. " Now where are you going?" Like she hadn't known already…

Gaara's eyes were filled with fire when they met hers. " I'm going to find Haku, Temari", he announced in a half screech, his eyes flashing. " I'm not leaving this place until I do."

She frowned, feeling cold shivers. " What about home? What about your village – you're the leader, remember?"

Gaara's eyes flashed again, this time so hazardously that only she knew her brother well enough not to be taken aback. " How do you expect me to lead _anything_ when my mind's elsewhere?"

Her frown deepened, and her expression filled with confusion. " Why do you care about that slave so much?" After all Haku had been nothing but Orochimaru's servant, someone her brother was supposed to hate. Right?

Gaara's expression spoke louder than any words while the boy turned around and started to head out. " I need some fresh air." Already long before he closed the door she knew better than well where her brother was really going.

She sighed heavily, leaning back on the couch and emitting cusses under her breath.

Shikamaru gave her a somewhat confused look. " What was that about?" The boy could've made a ton of questions concerning her remark of Gaara being a village leader, but fortunately he chose not to pry. She would've had to lie to him again.

She shook her head, her eyes darkening. " I don't know", she confessed with a somewhat grim expression. " But I really hope he figures it out before it's too late."

* * *

When Neji's eyes darted around his room that night – deviously calm, almost empty – he had everything figured out for the first time in his life.

He'd leave – finally run away from everything he'd despised since the day he'd been born. He'd shrug off everything he'd once been, and grasp firmly onto the chance of happiness he now knew there was.

His best friend – Lee – had visited him the night before, told him that TenTen was still alive and well. Only five minutes after his friend's visit his mind had been made up.

He was sick and tired of pretending. It was time to do something he wanted for once. He was done playing his uncle's twisted little games.

Suppressing a sigh he took a look around his room for the last time, carefully making sure everything was where it was supposed to be and the letter he'd written for Hiashi was sitting on a table, from where the man would find it in the morning. Then, his eyes steely with determination, he took his bag, turned without looking back and left the room – or at least attempted to. For as he opened the door, he halted when finding Ino behind it, her hand reached out for a knock. For just a moment her eyes widened with what looked like startle when she saw him.

He frowned, uneasiness building up in the pit of his stomach. " Ino? What's wrong?"

He saw her gulp thickly, and something between nausea and bewilderment rose to her face. " Neji, I… I just talked to a doctor about my nausea."

The whole world crumbled down and disappeared from around him as he understood.

* * *

Quite late that night Naruto's mind was firmly set while he readjusted his headband with a nearly grim expression, then took his bag with a slightly trembling hand and left his tiny apartment, mentally preparing himself for the thought that this could be the last time he saw the place.

He'd been waiting too long already, brought himself more than enough torture. It was time to do something about the burning in his veins before it'd drive him insane.

Careful not to look around too much in fear of what it'd do to him he marched on through the dark, empty streets, about a million thoughts speeding through his busy head.

He was just about to take the final step that'd lead him officially across the village's borderline when a firm, almost stern voice halted him. " Exactly what do you think you're doing?"

Turning around slowly and with a loud gulp, he found Kakashi, Sakura and one of his newest friends Sai stood only a couple of steps away. " What… are you doing?" he inquired somewhat cautiously. _I'm so screwed…_

It, however, appeared his distress had been premature. For soon something he recognized as fondness flashed in Kakashi's eyes. " Did you really think we'd let you go all alone?"

" You'd get yourself killed in less than five minutes", Sakura went on dryly, although her eyes betrayed her true emotions.

He frowned, his head filled with disbelief. " What… about Baa-chan?"

Kakashi merely shrugged. " I wouldn't worry about her."

Sai's expression was something close to impatience. " So, are we going after that girlfriend of yours or what?"

Despite everything there was bubbling inside him he couldn't help smiling at the three. He didn't even manage to get worked up by Sai's words. " Yeah", he murmured abnormally softly. " Let's go."

-

From a nearby building Tsunade and Jiraiya observed as the team went.

" Don't look so troubled", Jiraiya commented after a long silence, laying a hand on her somewhat tense shoulder. She couldn't keep herself from relaxing a little. " You did the right thing."

She sighed heavily, her eyes darkening. " I really hope so." _Because I'm sick of seeing every new generation repeat the mistakes of the former ones._

* * *

In the meantime Sasuke inhaled sharply through her nose while walking around in the room she and TenTen shared, desperately trying to bite back a nearly unbearable wave of nausea.

The baby was causing her far too much trouble – if she wouldn't be able to keep her stomach in control it was only a matter of time before Orochimaru would notice.

" If you want me to, I can give you some of the potion I used when I had morning sickness", TenTen – who was about to give birth any given day – suggested rather gently. " It makes your mouth dry, but otherwise it should be safe, for the baby as well."

She nodded quite absentmindedly and stopped, her gaze locking to a candle burning on a table, so close she could've touched it. The flame's color was exactly like Naruto's hair… " Thanks."

Her eyes narrowed with self-hatred when she wasn't able to rip them off of the candle.

She was becoming pathetic.

TenTen kept her quiet for a while, as though contemplating. " You miss him, don't you?" The brunette's voice shuddered the slightest bit. " It's alright – I still miss Neji, too."

She grit her teeth, her eyes flashing with something other than anger. " There's no point in longing", she murmured, watching how the candle's flame wavered under her breath.

She wasn't sure if she heard TenTen sigh. " Do you really believe that?"

Without answering she closed her eyes and breathed out, effectively smothering the flame.

It became completely dark in the room.

* * *

TBC???

* * *

1) Heh, as per usual after the last chappy. (smirks)

* * *

A/N: And there ends the second part of the what I've though should be three chappies long interlude. Poor teens! (sniffs)

So, what do you guys say – does this story seem worthy of an update, or should I fire a shot of mercy? It's all up to you, dattebayo. (nods and glances slightly nervously)

Please, do leave a review to let me know what you think!

Heh, there's a ton on my 'to do' –list, so I'm starting to tune out.

Bye for now, everyone!

Take care!


	10. Interlude, Part Three – Run

A/N: Yes, I'm still alive and breathing! MAN, has it been ages – months, right? – from the last update! (winces) I'm so sorry! I guess using any of Kakashi's creative excuses won't work, so… (gulps) Heh, oh well, I'm back now, and my love for this story has been restored. So HOORAY! (grins)

First off, thank you from the bottom of my heart for those reviews you've sent! (HUUUGS) You can't even imagine how much they mean to me – this story would've NEVER been resurrected without them. So THANK YOU! And of course extra, monumental thank yous to my AMAZING proof reader **Serenityofthematrix**! (hugs)

Awkay, with how long you've been waiting, I think it's 'bout bloody time to get going, ne? So let's roll! (grins and rubs hands together) I truly hope ya'll like this!

* * *

/ _In a tiny chamber underneath the streets of Konoha, the council gathered together._

"_Hokage-sama would never accept this!" The voice was anxious, almost high-pitched. "We can't do this, not to his own son!"_

"_There's no other choice!" The shout was interrupted by some evening pants. "Do you really think I'd do this if there was any other choice, if I could come up with any other way? I know we're destroying this child's life and it sickens me. But we need to do this, to save the village." Eyes darted towards the one empty chair. "I'm sure… even Hokage-sama would approve."_

_-_

_Ever since birth, Naruto was despised by almost everyone – and he never even knew why._

_-_

_Several years later – just after Sasuke's ninth birthday – the council gathered once more._

"_The Uchiha-clan is becoming a huge threat – we all know that." The voice was stony, carried no mercy or remorse. "If we don't stop them, they're going to gain power and destroy us all."_

"_What do you suggest, then?" The second voice was much more hesitant, reluctant._

_The eyes flashed like flames. "I want you to get rid off them – starting from Itachi."_

_-_

_One week later Sasuke's crying parents sent her out of the village, as their last desperate attempt to save her. When she woke up, right on time to see her parents die, she swore to never come back._ / (1)

* * *

CHAPTER 10: Interlude, Part Three – Run

* * *

_**Two Months Later**_

* * *

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what woke her up in the middle of the night – perhaps it was yet another nightmare she had of Orochimaru, maybe it was the rather large tree branch hitting the window of her tiny room, or it could've been this darkest sensation of threat. She didn't like the sensation traveling underneath her skin.

But whatever the case was, in a flash she was up and moving, with a frown of discomfort on her face. The baby growing steadily inside her was kicking furiously, as though sensing the threat as well. In the end, not sure why she did so, she stepped into the kitchen – and froze down to the core at what she found.

TenTen was leaning against the sink with a terrified expression and one hand brought to her very swollen stomach, shivering and paler than she'd ever seen her best friend. At the girl's feet was a shattered glass, and something that didn't look quite like water. In a flash her eyes widened a fraction as she realized. "Oh shit…"

TenTen seemed to be close to tears when looking at her. "The… baby, Sasuke." She swallowed thickly. "It's really coming this time."

* * *

In the meantime, Temari felt exhausted down her core while sitting on the windowsill of the room that'd been given to Kankuro, watching how Shikamaru and Kiba trained outside with determined expressions and occasional biting remarks.

So deep in her thoughts she was, that she shivered a little when her brother suddenly stood beside her. There was an amused expression on Kankuro's still somewhat banged up face. "How long has it been now – five hours?"

She snorted, and almost winced at how sore her muscles were when she stretched. "Six", she all but growled. "Six hours, and ten minutes. I can't believe Shikamaru hasn't complained Kiba to the point of insanity yet."

Her brother gave her a long, evaluating look, his face then twitching into something that looked like a smirk. "You two are amusing."

She frowned, hoping she would've been as confused as she pretended. "What are you talking about?"

Kankuro merely rolled his eyes. "You always brag you're the sharp one of us. So go figure."

She ruffled his hair extremely roughly. "Remember who's responsible for your medication, brat."

To be truthful, though…

As she watched how Shikamaru fell to his butt, and started out a flashy argument with Kiba, the corners of her lips curved upwards – not with the usual witty smirk, but with an actual smile. And she knew she was screwed.

* * *

The night had already fallen by the time Naruto was sitting on a riverbank, everything inside him sizzling with anxiety.

It was already so long from when he'd last seen Sasuke, and at the moment he was almost sure he'd go out of his mind if he didn't get any answers soon, if nothing happened. He needed to get the girl back into his arms.

His eyes narrowed.

During his life he'd never had anything much, yet he'd never complained or wished for something better. But now… Now, he'd finally found something that'd made absolutely everything change – only to lose it almost before getting a proper taste.

How could fate or whatever the hell was in charge allow that?!

"So here you are." Kakashi's voice startled him. By the time he turned his gaze, the man had already taken a seat beside him. "Sakura was worried. You've been pretty quiet for the past couple of weeks."

He looked away, and was fairly sure his eyes darkened. "I'm… fine." He sighed inwardly. "Just… tired, that's all." Sick and tired of getting nowhere, tired of waking up from all those sweet dreams to find that none of them had turned into reality.

"You shouldn't look so discouraged." Kakashi's voice was atypically soft. "There's no point in giving up now, when we've come this far. Especially not when I'm sure you're going to find her in the end."

He frowned, looking towards his teacher. "How can you know?"

Without the mask, he might've been able to tell if Kakashi really smiled. "Because I know you won't stop until you do. We won't let you."

For the first time in days a genuine grin appeared, and the weight that'd been resting on his chest since his road had led him away from Sasuke eased. "Thanks."

"Guys." Sakura's voice told that she feared she was intruding. There was a somewhat troubled look on her face. "Sai just spotted unwanted company. We better move."

He rubbed his hands together, his chest filled with newly restored hope. "Right! Let's get going. We've been lazing around too long, anyway."

The faster they'd go, the sooner he'd reach Sasuke, the sooner…

Right?

* * *

After such a long time, Gaara felt ready to give up his search.

He'd been looking for Haku everywhere, asked everyone, but so far there wasn't the slightest trace of the raven. It felt like he'd been hunting down a ghost, and he really hoped that wasn't the case.

That day, however, flipped everything around. When a force he couldn't understand made him halt before a store and lift his gaze, his heart nearly stilled at what he saw in the filthy window's reflection.

Right there, on the other side of the street, was none other than Haku, going through some vegetables – alive and well.

Despite all his pride his eyes widened with disbelief when he kept staring, unable to make even one of his muscles move although moving – running – was the one thing he wanted to do the most.

Finally, after such a long time…

Eventually, when Haku started to look towards him, his leg twitched enough to help him turn around – only to do so a second too late.

Out of nowhere a crowd appeared, forcing him to stop. When the people disappeared, Haku was already gone.

His determination, however, carried through the ache and immense frustration.

Haku… was definitely alive – he knew for sure now. And he was _not_ about to give up.

-

Haku was trembling while finally getting into a tiny house and leaning her full weight against the wall.

What have I done?

"So you decided to come back at last." The dry, far from friendly voice gave her chills. "What the heck took you so long? Did you meet someone or what?"

"No", she murmured while brushing the left side of her face, feeling all the scarred skin much too clearly. Burning appeared into her eyes which blurred. "No one important."

* * *

Ever since the death of her parents Sasuke had felt great distaste towards blood. That's why it took her all not to vomit while she helped TenTen the best as she could that night.

This is insane, she decided quite early on. She was no medic and her friend would've desperately needed one, because even she could tell things weren't going right. But Orochimaru's orders had been firm before the man had gone off somewhere and left Kabuto in charge; no visitors, and most definitely no going out. If luck should have it so that TenTen would die… Then so be it. Apparently the brunette meant nothing more than a piece of trash to the man – Sasuke wished she could've been more surprised by such a conclusion.

She grit her teeth hard before focusing on TenTen once more, her mind whirring far too much to process anything but what was immediately at hand. "Look… I'm not sure, but I think the baby will be out pretty soon, okay? You need to push, do you hear me? Push!" She didn't think adding that the brunette was bleeding _badly_ and that the ordeal had already taken far too long would've been a good idea. She also couldn't bring herself to say that this'd need to be gotten over with fast for the sake of the mother and baby.

Sweat glimmered on TenTen's forehead while the girl finally gave in and broke into silent tears. "I… I can't, Sasuke… I can't… It hurts too much… Please…"

"I know it hurts!" It was on purpose she sounded far harsher than she'd first indented – no sweet talk would be enough to keep the other awake, but maybe a voice of reason would have more luck. "But you've gotta push – for the sake of yourself and the baby." Her eyes narrowed, although she wasn't sure if it was with fear, anger or something else entirely. "So push!"

That TenTen attempted to do, as hard as she possibly could. It took Sasuke's all to keep her own emotions at bay while the brunette kept screaming, crying, mumbling incoherent words and bleeding far too much.

And then, so suddenly that it made her shudder, it was over. For a few moments she simply stared at the helplessly crying, still dirty and tiny little being in her arms, until she managed to make herself wrap the baby into a rather filthy blanket she'd been able to find. "It's… a boy", she managed.

"A… boy… Takao…" The slur of TenTen's voice alarmed her even more than the girl's pale features and the blood still flowing. A tentative, trembling hand was outstretched to caress the new arrival. The baby calmed down as soon as the girl's hand touched it. The brunette's eyes were already glazed over when they moved slowly to meet hers. "Please… Make sure Neji… gets to see him."

Had she possessed a little less self control, her eyes might've widened the exact moment TenTen's slipped closed and her friend grew still – _too_ still. "Wake up." There was no reaction, not even when she grabbed the girl's shoulder harshly. The baby – Takao – started to cry heartbreakingly. "TenTen, open your eyes." But she already knew it was much too late. There was no pulse when she searched frantically for one, and the stream of blood had stopped. It was all over.

Just like after the death of her parents and Naruto's departure she felt cold and lonely, and although she didn't cry her eyes stung hellishly while she trembled. She didn't manage to move, could barely breath. Takao kept crying in her arms, showing everything she couldn't.

All of a sudden the room's door opened without a knock, and Kabuto marched in. "What hell is this ruckus all about?" The boy then noticed TenTen, and a dry look appeared. "Oh crap… Orochimaru-sama isn't going to like this."

Her eyes flashed, and in one motion she'd cradled the baby close to her.

She'd failed when it came to helping TenTen, but she wouldn't let this child suffer.

Kabuto, of course, noticed her efforts. "Ah, now what are you doing?" Something flashed in her eyes, she could tell, when the boy pulled out a knife. "Give the baby to me, and you won't have to get hurt."

At the moment no threat of pain made sense to her, the boy's – monster's – words barely even registered; her mind and chest were too filled with everything else. All she could do was _move_. And that's what she did.

Before Kabuto could flinch she was already rushing forth, towards the room's door like a wild animal escaping from captivity. The boy's eyes darkened dangerously. "Oh, no you're not."

The blade moved and cut a rather deep, nasty wound to her side, but from her shock she barely noticed. Instead she grabbed a vase of some sort that'd been forgotten into the room's darkest corner, and _swung_.

The sound of glass breaking broke the noise coming from the baby crying, and soon enough there was a thud as Kabuto went down and remained there, unmoving.

For a few moments she simply stared in utter disbelief, not managing to believe that she'd done this, that the road was finally open. Then, her gaze turned towards TenTen's body, and something moved uncomfortably in her chest. The baby inside her also started kicking, obviously sensing the emotional turmoil she was in.

She didn't want to leave what was left of TenTen here, under Orochimaru and Kabuto's mercy. But what else could she do? There was no time.

Getting Takao to safety was far more important than saving a body, wasn't it? She had to do this – this was what TenTen would've wanted.

Her eyes flashed once again – with tons more than she was able to process – before she forced herself into turning around and starting her journey.

_I'm so sorry._

She didn't stop to think about the blood escaping from her or the damage done, couldn't lose herself into grieving. In the end she even grew deaf to the still ongoing cries of Takao.

All she could do was run, and pray that she wouldn't have to stop too soon.

* * *

Neji, who'd been stood on a balcony to escape from the party raging downstairs, found himself shivering all of a sudden, and his knees went so weak that they almost gave way while all color drained from his face. He frowned while squeezing the railing before him hard.

_What…?!_

"Neji?" Ino's voice carried some genuine worry. "Everyone's waiting for you."

He nodded sharply, not managing to look at her at the moment. He could barely even think. "I'll be there in a bit."

"Good." Ino didn't leave, though. He felt her eyes on him. "Are you… okay?"

"Yes", he forced through his lips, realizing that he was still trembling. "I'm fine."

That was a lie, of course.

Because for one reason or another, he found it almost impossible to hold back tears.

* * *

In the forest, Naruto felt similar tremors and stopped without a warning, everything in his mind spinning.

Something… was wrong, off.

"Naruto?" Sakura was looking at him with a frown, as was Kakashi, and Sai was also staring. "What's wrong?"

He grinned sheepishly, all of a sudden very embarrassed by the attention. "I just… had some chills, that's all." Gosh, how he wished he could've been truthful.

While they kept walking he chewed his lower lip, fighting the stinging that'd appeared to his eyes without reason.

_I really hope you're okay, Sasuke_, he mused sullenly, glancing towards the stars that were beginning to appear. _Because… If you're not…_

Somehow, he managed to freeze as Kakashi did. His teacher was looking at something with a deep, suspicious frown.

He frowned as well. "What's up?" He then looked towards the same direction and blinked.

There, below the tiny hill they were currently standing on, was a tiny hut. At first it seemed abandoned, but then he caught a faint beam of light from one of the building's windows.

Someone was obviously home.

Naruto felt a huge grin of hope appearing to his face. This was the first time in days they met civilization. This couldn't possibly be a bad thing – right? "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Sakura growled. "Naruto, you moron! Wait for us!"

-

While going none of them noticed the two ghostlike figures, which were observing them from the nearby trees before moving to follow them.

* * *

TBC, riiiiiiight?

* * *

1) Heh, I decided to twitch the past of this story closer to the manga storyline. 'Hope ya don't mind. (grins)

* * *

A/N: So… (sniffs) Things are NOT going great, ne? (sniffs again)

This chapter marks the end of the so-called Interlude. Would you like to read the four to six more chapters there's still to come?

**PLEASE**, do review to let me know what ya think! (offers all kinds of special treats)

'Til next time, be that with whatever fic!

Be good!


	11. Comes Around, Goes Around

A/N: Well how about this? It didn't take me months to update this time – HOORAY! (pumps fist into air) Some progress, ne? (chuckles)

First, of course… Monumental thank yous for those heart warming review you've sent me! (HUUUUUGS, and offers several types of ice-cream) It's ya guys who give me the inspiration to write, so THANK YOU! And of course HUGE special thank yous toy unbelievable proofreader **Serenityofthematrix** for the awesome work!

Oukey, because I bet you'd all prefer getting on with the story, let's continue the ride! I truly hope ya'll enjoy this one.

* * *

Sasuke had felt a lot of pain during her life. Yet _nothing_ had prepared her for what she experienced that day, when her knees finally gave way and she slumped to the ground, fighting her hardest to restrain a scream of agony. TenTen's baby – Takao, Takao, Takao, she tried to remind herself – cried shrilly in her arms, as though sensing her distress, and her own child started kicking furiously inside her. She leaned heavily against the tree behind her, emitting a loud, low moan.

She'd tried her hardest, ran as far and fast as she could for two days straight, but this was her limit. Her legs wouldn't carry her for another step.

She lifted her gaze without really noticing it, her eyes growing hazy.

_'Sorry…_

She wished she'd known to whom she was apologizing.

Her eyes were already sliding closed when she caught a bright, nearly surreal glimpse of gold. A gasp, or perhaps a sigh, erupted through her lips.

_Naruto…_

Just then she shuddered when feeling a hand on her cheek. The touch was unfamiliar, yet so comfortably cool that only the little reason her head still had kept her from leaning against it. "Hey, are you okay?" Her eyes slipped all the way closed, making the voice speak again, so loudly that it hurt her ears even more than the baby's constant crying. "Hey, don't you dare collapse on me! Don't…!"

But it was much too late.

The voice faded, leaving her into a gray hue.

* * *

CHAPTER 11: Comes Around, Goes Around

* * *

Naruto was a heavy sleeper – it was a habit both Kakashi and Jiraiya had hopelessly tried to teach him out of. Therefore he was immediately alarmed when his eyes flew open in the dead of night, his whole body fully awake and ready to operate.

Something was _badly_ wrong.

Then – quite slowly, for his ears were only just waking up – he started to hear steps, everywhere around the woods he and his team was occupying. He managed to turn his gaze just in time to see moonlight shine on a blade before steel was pressed against his neck. A strangled gasp immediately left him.

_Shit…!_

His chest contorted when a knee was rested heavily against it – only to relax again when he met the face of a teenage girl. He blinked thrice. "Wah…?" The attacker was nothing all that threatening – just a girl, most likely even younger than he was, with long red hair.

Her green eyes narrowed. "What are you doing in my sensei's woods?" Those eyes – suddenly slightly more threatening – flashed. "You have no right to be here!"  
"I… I'm on a mission", he offered as though it'd explained everything. He swallowed as thickly as he could from the blade. "We're… just passing through, okay?" _Is she insane? What the heck is going on?_

It was around then, apparently, the others finally spotted the noises. A gasp that was most likely Sakura's could be heard, and he assumed Sai was the one who pulled out a weapon of some sort. Then – so suddenly that it surprised them both – a blade was placed to the girl's throat. She growled, her eyes narrowing again.

"Leave him alone." Kakashi's voice was slightly harsher than usual. "Drop your weapon, and you'll be alright."

But the girl had other plans. With what sounded awfully lot like a snarl, she spun around to face Kakashi.

There would've without a doubt been a fight, if it wasn't for a new male-voice interrupting it. "Amaru, leave them alone. These people are not enemies."

Seeming somewhat sheepish, the girl did as ordered. "I'm sorry, Minato-sensei."

Naruto got up as well to meet a rather bizarre sight. Sakura stood quite nearby, looking at the arrival with several blinks, whereas Sai had folded his arms as the only visible sign of confusion. Kakashi, on the other hand, was openly staring at the newcomer, his face much paler usual and breath wheezing; the man looked like he'd seen a ghost. And as he turned his gaze once more he found something even more confusing – there, silhouetted by moonlight, stood a blond haired man who looked so much like him it made him feel dizzy. "Who… are you?" was absolutely everything he managed in a five-year-old's voice.

The man – Minato, right? – either restrained a sigh or swallowed. "I think you should come with us – it's not safe out here with Orochimaru roaming around."

For some reason they were all speechless while following.

* * *

Minato's head hurt while he stood outside his tiny cabin, watching how stars lit up to the sky.

He obviously hadn't thought things through before he'd invited those people to stay. It wasn't like he would've wanted to leave them under Orochimaru's mercy – he wasn't a cruel person, so he would've never done such a thing. But… His head had been hurting since their arrival, as though something that'd been buried deep down had been crawling towards the surface. That… _something_ was already close to the surface, and he was almost scared to find out what it was.

"So here you are." His ears twitched a little at the man's – Kakashi's, he recalled – voice. Turning around, he saw the man stood about two steps away. "I've been meaning to thank you, for giving us a place to stay. I know how dangerous it is."

He found himself smiling. "It's alright." He looked away, almost slipping into his thoughts. "Even with Amaru and some occasional students, it… gets lonely here sometimes. It's good to have some adult company." So good, that he smothered the sounds of reason whispering – or well, perhaps even screaming – at him.

Kakashi had told him that this group was on its way to find and save from Orochimaru's clutches someone called… Sasuke – apparently, she was very precious to Naruto. They'd already made a long journey from a village called Konoha, and they had a feeling they were close.

It was a weak story – something hard to believe. But… What could he do when his heart and brain were at war? Life was confusing for someone who could remember less than a half of his life.

"Are you feeling ill?" Kakashi's voice carried the slightest hint of worry, which was odd, considering they'd just met. Right? "You look pale."

"I'm fine", he responded rather softly while turning towards the man – and just then his gaze got lost into the other man's eyes. Something first pulsated harshly, then stilled completely, as though the sight had been too much for his system to handle. _So familiar…_ A frown appeared to his face. "Have… I met you before?"

At first Kakashi seemed mildly taken aback, then looked towards the same direction he'd just been staring. "No", the man all but murmured. "I'm… sorry, but we've never met before."

He nodded, although he didn't believe the other man at all.

They kept standing there in silence, and he found himself shivering from the cold.

* * *

The night had been long and exhausting for Naruto. He'd had barely any sleep, he was _full _of Amaru, and it still seemed he wouldn't be allowed to go after Sasuke. It wasn't often he would've been as frustrated.

In the end the frustration exploded into fatigue that almost struck him to his knees. He went to bed, and in a matter of seconds he was close to sleep.

He didn't know how long he'd been dozing off, when sudden small sounds appeared to disturb his peace. His eyebrows twitched, but even the best of his efforts didn't manage to make his eyes open. A tiny moan of frustration slipped through his lips.

What the heck was going on?

"Wake up, dobe."

And finally his eyelids flew open to allow him a crystal clear visual of a very familiar face. A gasp erupted, and his eyes stung just a little bit while they blurred. "Sasuke…"

She seemed utterly exhausted, and there was a small scrape on her cheek, but she was nonetheless there, alive and all right.

She snorted, although it sounded far softer than it should've. "You look like you'd just seen a ghost."

Unable to speak, he pushed himself into a sitting position, then – without warning – wrapped his arms around the Uchiha, as tightly as he'd feared anything less would let the raven disappear again. "I missed you, damn it." In some other situation he might've found his tone pathetic, even embarrassing. "I missed you so much."

Gosh, how good it was to feel Sasuke holding him back! "I know. But… Everything's going to work out now." She held a tiny pause. "Look… There's something I need to tell you…"

And then – just like someone had pushed a button – his eyes opened again, to meet the light of a recently dawned morning. In an instant his eyes blurred and flowed over, and he buried his face into his hands to keep himself from seeing the world.

At the moment there was no deity he wouldn't have hated.

-

Kakashi and Minato – who'd been outside talking and were now making some tea to warm up – both glanced towards the direction of Naruto's heavy steps.

Kakashi frowned faintly while observing his student's exhausted face and troubled eyes. "Are you alright?"

Naruto nodded, attempting to grin a little and failing miserably. "Yeah, I just had… a weird dream, that's all." The boy then sniffed the air, and a hopeful expression appeared. "Hey, is that herbal tea? It's my favorite!"

Minato seemed both surprised and mildly amused. "You know what's funny? It happens to be my favorite, too."

Naruto blinked. "Are you serious?" This time the grin was genuine. "I though I was the only one who likes that stuff!"

That, apparently, was enough to chase away at least some of the shadows looming around those two. Kakashi fought back a sigh while watching them talking and realizing just how much power he had in his hands.

He suppressed a sigh and left the building, deciding that he was in dire need of some fresh air to sort out his head.

How was he supposed to tell those two that they were a father and son? Should he even?

He just hoped he'd make the right decision in the end, because a mistake might ruin two carefully built up lives.

* * *

There was a deep frown on Shikamaru's face while he examined Sasuke.

He'd gotten to know her to at least some extend while they'd been in Orochimaru's clutches, and he knew that her body was extremely strong. But right now… She was starved and badly dehydrated, and he could easily see several old and new injuries, the worst of them being an infected stab wound on her side. To top the mess, she also seemed to be pregnant. He couldn't understand how in the world she'd survived this far, and in all honesty, he didn't trust his skills enough when it came to treating her. He needed help – admitting that required all his pride, but there was no point in denying facts.

His eyebrow twitched as he sensed movement behind him. "Kiba, if you don't stop breathing at my neck I'll throttle you."

The boy scoffed, though took a step further. "Geez, sorry." The brunet then seemed to focus on their patient once more. "How's she doing, anyway? Do you think she'll wake up soon?"

He debuted for a long time, not sure how he should break the news to the other, who'd been pretty worked up by Sasuke since finding her. In the end he took a deep breath. _Too damn troublesome…_ "She… isn't doing too well right now. I'd want to see her awake, so it'd be easier to help her, but I'm not sure if she has enough strength regain consciousness, especially with the baby and all."

He could sense Kiba's frown. "But… You can help her, right? I mean, even Kankuro recovered with your help."

He fought the desire the sigh or groan – he had no idea which one.

Just then the room's door opened. A somewhat tired- and pissed off looking Temari entered. "How's the baby?" he asked immediately.

She shrugged. "He's sleeping right now. He seems okay to me, but I'm no expert."

He nodded, deep in thought, and paid barely any attention to the actual process as he placed a hand to Sasuke's forehead. He immediately pulled the limb back when finding nearly scorching warmth and a groan.

_A fever… Great…_

At that moment he made his decision.

Growling a bit at the workload he knew to be ahead, he pushed himself up and stretched. "There's… a old friend of mine who's help I need." He started gathering the required equipment while speaking. "I already sent Gaara to get some medicine. You need to keep and eye on Sasuke and the baby. Change her bandages whenever they're soiled through."

The question lingered in Temari's eyes as well, but Kiba beat her to expressing it. "What about Orochimaru? You know damn well it's not safe out there!"

He fought the urge to shudder and swallow. He didn't feel like answering to his friend's actual question. "I'll be back in a few days. Try not to get yourselves killed in the meantime, okay?"

They didn't change all that many words of parting, mostly because none of them was all that good with goodbyes.

Shikamaru had already almost left the building's small yard, when he felt that someone was following him. Turning around, he met Temari's rather strange, tight expression.

He frowned. "Hey, what…?"

Without letting him finish she took the two final steps separating them, then slammed her lips against his with a force that took his breath away for a second. Before he properly realized what was happening he was responding eagerly to the kiss.

_Holy damn…!_

Neither of them had barely any breath left by the time Temari pulled away, looking at him with eyes he couldn't read. "Now that's something for you to come back to." With that she turned around and marched away.

It took five full minutes before he managed to turn around and take his leave.

If he'd been aware of his expression, he might've been embarrassed by the slight, goofy grin that lingered on his face as he went.

* * *

Haku felt sick to her stomach while Gatô ran a greedy hand through her hair, then allowed the touch to proceed on her naked skin. "You look good like this, with that burned side of you turned away", the man murmured in a tone that made her nausea intensify still. "Perhaps you weren't a bad purchase, after all."

Against her calm and peaceful nature, she felt like breaking all his teeth with a violent hit. She might've even done something, if a doctor's voice hadn't appeared just then. "Ah, so here you are. Why don't you come in so we can get started?"

With utter reluctance she pushed herself up, and defied how much her feet weighed as she made her way into the man's office. As soon as she stepped over the doorstep, she suddenly felt something – it was so strange she couldn't even name it. Very slowly, almost holding her breath, she turned around, and found everything inside her stop at what she found.

Red hair, those eccentric eyes…

_Gaara…!_

Her eyes widened, and she realized that in some other situation she would've screamed, cried, fought. But now…

As the door closed between them she closed her eyes, feeling something inside her die.

By the time she finally managed to focus on reality once more, the words she heard didn't make her feel any better. "… will the procedure take place?" Gatô demanded in his usual tone, as though the matter in question had been something insignificant.

The male doctor's expression wasn't the slightest bit more encouraging. "In five days. Come to my office at this same hour."

As the men kept discussing whether it'd already be too late or not in five days, she brought a hand to her stomach and lifted her gaze towards the roof. Shadows danced vividly against the rather filthy, white surface.

She'd never wanted to scream as badly.

-

When the doctor opened the door about ten seconds after the two had disappeared, he got the shock of his life when facing a redhead whose expression immediately brought devil to his mind. Before he could even gasp he'd been pushed against the wall, and the arrival – a teen who was stronger than most men half above his age – grabbed his collar so hard that he couldn't even breathe.

"I just saw you had a patient I've been waiting to find for a very, very long time." It was nothing but a hiss. "Now, if your well-being means anything to you, you're telling me absolutely everything you know about those two."

* * *

_**Two Days Later**_

* * *

The past couple of days had rolled by in a fog of some sort for Naruto.

Hard as he tried, he couldn't seem to find any answers, whether it came to Minato or especially Sasuke, and he was going out of his mind. His constant bickering was Amaru didn't make things any easier.

Why were they in this place, with these people, when they should've been looking for Sasuke? Why were they wasting precious time?

"So this is where you went off to." Sakura sat down to accompany him on the porch before he managed to overcome the startle caused by her sudden appearance. He blinked twice at the apple she handed towards him. "You barely ate – Amaru sent you this."

He shuddered while putting the fruit away. "I bet she poisoned it."

Sakura shrugged, also eying the fruit suspiciously. "It wouldn't be a surprise." She then focused on him. "Are you feeling any better?"

His eyes gained a faraway look for a moment. "Yeah." He glanced towards the mug of tea he'd been trying to consume for the past half an hour, and winced. "I can't believe there was a time when I liked this stuff."

She gave him a somewhat sympathetic look. "We'll find her, you know? Sai's out there looking for traces and questioning his 'sources' – maybe he'll find something."

He looked towards the tea once more. A little while back – when the search was still young – those words might've been enough, but now… "Hmm."

He didn't know how long they'd been sitting there when their ears suddenly perked up to the sounds of steps rushing towards them. Lifting their gazes, they both blinked when seeing a heavily cursing and sweating, brown haired boy rushing towards them.

_Shikamaru!_, his mind screamed after a couple of seconds.

Sakura immediately bounced up, her eyes widening slightly. "What the…?!"

The boy barely managed to talk, but tried to anyhow. "She… needs Minato… Sasuke…"

To Naruto, it felt like a lightning had struck him. He started to shake as everything inside him spun out of control. This… was too good to be true! "Where is she? I need to find her!" He was getting desperate already. Couldn't Shikamaru see and understand that…?

The brunet panted and finally managed to all but wheeze. "Five… hours to north… from here… Then… take the un-pawed… road."

All his reason disappeared.

The mug fell from his hand as he _ran_.

"Naruto!"

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

To those who haven't seen the movie yet, Amaru is no OC. She's a character from the newest Naruto-movie. (smirks)

In case you're wondering… Shikamaru was working as a medic in Orochimaru's 'motel' while Sasuke was also there. That's how he came to meet both her and Naruto. (grins) ('Thought I should mention, because I'd almost forgotten that fact…)

* * *

A/N: Oh dear… So the going keeps speeding up – and now Minato's also been brought in to the story! (gulps) Oh dear, it looks like something wicked this way comes…

Awkay, because I can't post this story for you guys before I've finished this author's note, I'm starting to tune off now so you actually get to see this chappy. (grins sheepishly) PLEASE, leave a note so I know if you're still gonna stay on board. Pwease…?

Only three to five chappies left, folks!

Until next time – 'hope I'll c a lot u then!

Be good!


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